California’s wage & hour laws continue to wreak havoc on employers big and small leading to multimillion-dollar awards. The legal rules are constantly changing, which means you and many other employers are at risk of large claims. The California Supreme Court recently issued one of its most significant wage & hour opinions in years regarding the determination of independent contractor versus employee status in California. We will discuss how this decision impacts your business and what you need to do to protect yourself from misclassification claims. Other recent court decisions have decided issues important to employers including application of the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (so-called “PAGA” lawsuits). We will discuss these cases, other recent wage & hour trends, and the steps you must take now to minimize your compliance risks.

Laura’s practice encompasses all aspects of employment law, including wrongful discharge, discrimination and harassment litigation in both state and federal courts, wage & hour claim defense, representation of employers in hearings before administrative agencies, management training, and counseling employers on issues relating to employment agreements, commission plans, hiring, firings and other personnel matters. She is also a frequent speaker on employment law topics. Laura has worked on employment matters for small local privately held companies, national and international publicly traded companies, and everything in between including numerous non-profit organizations, financial institutions, hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, and health care. Laura was named a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2018.