Q&A

Are we allowed to tell women they can’t wear pants at work?

03/22/2018

Q. I am an HR director for a traditional, conservative company and have run into a new issue. When onboarding employees, I always explain our preferred dress code: we prefer women to wear skirts and dresses with pantyhose to work because many of our senior partners are old-fashioned. A new female employee said she would prefer to wear pants. Can we require her to wear a skirt instead?

Must we pay for travel time between home and airport and between airport and hotel?

02/21/2018

Q. Is an employer required to pay an employee for time spent traveling from home to the airport (and vice versa, from airport to home on the return trip), and for travel time from the airport to a hotel (and vice versa)?

How should we pay nonexempt employees when they are traveling on business?

02/21/2018

Q. Our sales team travels around the country for client pitches and various project meetings. Some members of the sales team are nonexempt. While flying, some staff perform work on their computers, while others relax or listen to music. Are we required to pay employees for travel time even if the employees are not working?

When can we require medical exams? Are we allowed to make an employee pay for a job-related medical exam?

01/02/2018

Q. May employers require medical examinations of applicants and employees?

Do gift cards count as employee income?

01/02/2018

Q. We gave our employees gift cards as holiday gifts. Must these gift cards be reported as taxable income?

How long must a light-duty reassignment go on?

12/13/2017

Q. An employee returned after a work-related injury with doctor restrictions. We put her in a light-duty job, but it’s been more than 90 days with no end in sight. She works a full eight-hour day, but not in the job we hired her for. What can we do?

Frequently asked questions about vacation pay in California

11/29/2017

Answers to four questions about California vacation leave laws.

We don’t want to fire, can we require retirement?

11/15/2017

Q. An older employee has been having significant performance issues during the performance cycle. She is eligible for retirement, but does not want to retire. Can we require her to retire in lieu of termination?

What are our obligations under the California Employee Literacy Education Assistance Act?

11/01/2017

Q. An employee recently disclosed that he is illiterate and asked for our help in finding an adult literacy education program. What are our obligations toward this employee under California law?

Fired for misconduct: Can former employee collect unemployment benefits?