Best Practices for Wage and Hour Compliance and Responding to COVID19 in the California Workplace

The program will discuss best practices for managing a remote workplace amid the pandemic.  Discussion will include recommendations for effectively tracking hourly (non-exempt) employees’ work hours, meal and rest periods, while complying with federal and California wage and hour policies.

Wage and Hour Compliance for remote employees

• Rest breaks
• Meal periods
• Tracking hours worked
• Reimbursement for use of personal equipment

COVID19 concerns for employers - What to do if there is a Case of COVID-19 in the Workplace

• General employer obligations 
• Managing outbreak(s)
• Communication with employees 
• Returning to work
• Reopening

California COVID19 resources for employers and employees

• Identification of publicly available resources for employers and employees 

Wage and Hour Compliance for remote employees

• Rest breaks
• Meal periods
• Tracking hours worked
• Reimbursement for use of personal equipment

COVID19 concerns for employers - What to do if there is a Case of COVID-19 in the Workplace

• General employer obligations 
• Managing outbreak(s)
• Communication with employees 
• Returning to work
• Reopening

California COVID19 resources for employers and employees

• Identification of publicly available resources for employers and employees 

Many employers are experiencing unprecedented numbers of remote employees due to the pandemic.  Wage and hour compliance was a challenge for many employers before the pandemic.  COVID19 has amplified these issues.  This program will discuss ways to help employers navigate state and federal wage and hour laws while managing a remote workforce.

In addition, the program will also touch upon current California requirements for responding to COVID19 concerns in the workplace for employers who have remained open or are re-opening. 

This program will be an invaluable resource to help educate employers and help avoid and/or minimize employee claims and lawsuits.  This program will specifically benefit all employers and is aimed at educating human resource personnel, supervisors, managers, directors, owners, and any other individual charged with facilitating an employer’s legal compliance with wage and hour laws as well as those responsible for managing COVID19 concerns in the workplace. 

Janine Braxton is an employment defence attorney.  She was recently appointed to serve as a liaison to the California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Executive Committee.  She is also a board member of the Northern California Chapter of the National Labor and Relations Association, and a current board member of the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section.

Janine represents local, regional and national employers in all aspects of California labor and employment law and related litigation. Her practice consists of both litigation/arbitration and counseling/advice in the area of management-side labor and employment law. Janine represents employers in matters involving an array of labor and employment related issues under federal and state law including individual discrimination and harassment claims with an emphasis on complex wage and hour representative and class actions. In addition to defending employers in court, she regularly counsels, advises, and trains California employers on issues of compliance with California and federal employment laws to assist them in adopting policies and practices that both reduce their risk of being sued and position them to successfully defend lawsuits they are unable to avoid.