COSTA MESA, California, February 6, 2013 – Attorneys in the Employment and Labor Law Section at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, California’s largest full-service business law firm based in Orange County, recently conducted an informative seminar for more than 200 clients and friends of the Firm at the Balboa Bay Club to help employers focus on relevant legal developments over the past year, as well as changes in California employment law for 2013. Rutan & Tucker partners Jim Morris and Maria Stearns and associate Brandon Sylvia all presented at the seminar, and answered insightful questions from the audience.
Jim Morris noted that even non-union employers should expect more employment law regulatory efforts in President Obama’s second term. Morris explained how the National Labor Relations Board had been quite active in 2012 in many areas of concern to non-union employers, such as at-will employment policies, social media policies, the confidentiality of internal investigations, arbitration agreements and off-duty access to facilities. Morris also summarized a new federal appeals court decision that calls into question the entire gamut of NLRB decisions since January 2012.
Addressing wage and hour issues, Maria Stearns reviewed the seminal Brinker decision on meal periods and rest breaks, as well as other cases and new legislation involving commissions, explicit wage agreements, independent contractors, time-rounding practices, reporting time pay and inaccurate wage statements.
Brandon Sylvia reported on the latest developments in arbitration and gave updates related to disability and leave law. He also summarized new legislation regarding religious accommodations for employees, breastfeeding in the workplace, and employer access to social media passwords.
“We look forward every year to hosting this update for our clients and friends,” said Mark Payne, a partner and chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor Law Section. “The legal developments each year often create new risks and challenges for employers, and this event allows us the opportunity to highlight these developments for the many employers that look to our attorneys for guidance.”
