Legal News and Updates

New Employment Laws for 2022
As 2021 comes to a close, we hope you all are looking forward to a prosperous and healthy new year. In an effort to help you maintain the best policies and practices, we would like to provide you with this summary of new employment laws and revisions to existing laws....

Christina Bucci Hamilton Named Partner
Duggan McHugh Law Corporation is thrilled to announce the naming of Attorney Christina Bucci Hamilton to Partner, alongside Senior Partners Jennifer Duggan and Laura McHugh. Throughout her eight years as an attorney, Christina has consistently provided first-rate...

You’re Hired! (What Now?)
(This is Part II of a Two-Part Series on Hiring. Part I “Now Hiring! Best Practices for a Lawful Interview Process” can be found here.) Finding the right employee can be challenging, however even after an employer hires a candidate, they still have their work cut out...

Changes to FLSA joint employer regulations
On October 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s rescission of the prior administration’s March 2020 Joint Employer Rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act went into effect. In short, the rescission essentially increases the likelihood that an employer could...

Now Hiring! – Best Practices for a Lawful Interview Process
Part I of a Two-Part Series on Hiring; Part II addresses best practices after hiring. With the recent Covid-19 hiring surge, it is the perfect time for employers to review their hiring policies and practices. While most California employers are familiar with the Fair...

What does the CFRA actually mean for smaller employers?
It’s been nearly a year since California expanded the scope of its California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to apply to smaller employers, i.e., those California employers with five or more employees. But confusion looms. When we speak with our smaller clients, many of...

Exempting Employees from Mandatory Vaccinations: What Constitutes a “Sincerely Held” Religious Belief?
As California employers are grappling with whether to require their workforce to get the COVID-19 vaccine, some employees are raising their religious beliefs to opt out of employer-mandated vaccinations. However, it is just not as simple as an employee exclaiming,...

Pandemic Conditions Continue to Test California Employers’ Expense Reimbursement Duties
You may know that Labor Code section 2802 requires employers to reimburse employees for expenses they incur under your direction or request that are reasonably necessary to performing their job. Have you pivoted your reimbursement practices in light of the changed way...

Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace: What’s the Update?
If there’s one thing that every employer in California should know by now, it’s that California labor and employment laws are constantly changing, and that employers must regularly adjust their policies and practices in order to stay compliant. Enter a global...

California Supreme Court Issues Hard-Hitting Decision for Employers: Meal, Rest and Recovery Period Violation Premiums Must Be Paid Based On Employee’s Total Compensation, Not Merely the Hourly Rate
Last week the California Supreme Court in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC dealt yet another blow to California employers: whenever an employee misses a meal or rest period, or takes a non-compliant meal or rest period (i.e., one that is late or short), the...