Schwarzenegger Signs Minimum-Wage Increase, Vetoes Healthcare Mandate
September 15, 2006—California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that will raise the minimum wage to $8 an hour by January 1, 2008, but the governor vetoed legislation that would have required large employers to spend a certain percentage of their total wages on healthcare insurance.
Schwarzenegger to Veto Universal Healthcare Bill
September 07, 2006—California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he will veto legislation that would create a single-payer healthcare system for providing health insurance coverage to all California residents.
Conference to Prepare CA Employers for Workplace Law Changes
September 05, 2006—The Employer Resource Institute, publisher of California Employer Advisor and a division of BLR, is presenting a two-day conference to help employers in California prepare for changes in federal and state employment law and to update companies on court cases affecting the workplace.
Schwarzenegger Agrees to Raise Minimum Wage to $8
August 24, 2006—California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he and lawmakers have reached a deal to increase the minimum wage to $8 per hour in two steps.
Would Minimum Wage Bill Shortchange Tipped Employees?
August 03, 2006—Democrats are voicing concern over a provision in a House-approved minimum wage bill that they say would force states to allow employers with tipped employees to count employees' tips toward the minimum wage, the Los Angeles Time reports.
Former Brocade Execs Charged with Backdating Stock Options
July 21, 2006—Federal prosecutors and regulators have filed criminal and civil securities fraud charges against both the former chief executive and former vice president of human resources at Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., alleging that the two routinely backdated stock option grants to give employees favorably priced options without recording necessary compensation expenses.
Dept. of Labor Sues Maid Service Company for $1.8M
July 18, 2006—The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Southern California Maid Services and Carpet Cleaning (SCMS), accusing the company of violating the minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
EA Settles Class-Action Lawsuit over Overtime
April 26, 2006— Electronic Arts, a maker of video games, has agreed pay $14.9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging current and former computer programmers in its California studios were entitled to overtime compensation under state law.
Wage & Hour Lawsuits on the Rise
February 20, 2006—The volume of litigation initiated by groups of employees alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act continued to rise in 2005, according to a report by the law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
Worker Says He Had to Give Employer Tax Refunds
February 15, 2006—A worker in California has filed a lawsuit claiming his employer required him and other foreign workers to hand over their tax refund to the company, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
