Blog
What is COBRA?
Question: What is COBRA? Answer: COBRA is short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. It’s a federal law that allows certain employees and covered dependents to elect to continue their same group health coverage, at their own cost, when it would otherwise be discontinued because of a qualifying event. These qualifying events include termination or reduction in hours, death of a
What employers should include in an offer letter
Question: What should be included in an offer letter? Answer: The offer letter should outline the expectations and benefits of the job and provide explicit details about compensation. Ideally, it provides the candidate with all the information they need to make an informed decision about whether to accept the job or not. A standard offer letter generally should include: Job details, including
Independence Day Office Closure
Please note our office will be closed Tuesday, July 4, 2023 to celebrate Independence Day. We will reopen on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at 8:00am. All major US health insurance carriers will also be closed in celebration of Independence Day, and will resume normal business hours on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Have a fun and safe Independence Day, and God bless America!
Interactive Process- Effective Accommodations for Disabled Employees
Question: What is the interactive process? Answer: The interactive process is a term most often associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law that requires organizations with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees who have a disability. The interactive process involves working with an applicant or employee to explore effective accommodations so they can
Hiring decisions should be based on how well a candidate meets the qualifications outlined in the job description
Question: We have a hiring manager who doesn’t want to hire someone due to their weight. Can we reject their application for this reason? Answer: While weight in and of itself is not a protected characteristic under federal law, making a hiring decision on this basis is inadvisable. Hiring decisions should be based on how well a candidate meets the qualifications outlined in the job
California Local Minimum Wage Increases
California Law Alert- California Local Minimum Wage Increases On July 1, 2023, numerous cities and counties across California will increase their hourly minimum wage. The new rates are as follows: Alameda: $16.52 Berkeley: $18.07 Emeryville: $18.67 Fremont: $16.80 Long Beach hotels with 100+ guest rooms: TBD Los Angeles City: $16.78 Los Angeles City hotels with 60+ guest rooms: $19.73 Unincorporated
Federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Takes Effect
Federal employment law is about to give birth to some long-overdue requirements. As of June 27, 2023, employers with 15 or more employees must provide pregnancy-related accommodations to employees and applicants under the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Below we’ll refer to employees and applicants collectively as “employees.” Pregnancy Related Accommodations Under the PWFA, employees are entitled to
More Companies Try To Lure Workers With Benefits
May 16, 2023 | Source: InvestmentNews, by Bloomberg News Over a year of rapid wage growth has U.S. companies turning to enhanced benefits to attract and retain workers. Mentions of employee benefits in job postings on ZipRecruiter soared to the highest rates on record, according to an analysis by the jobs site. A greater share of positions offered benefits like health insurance, paid time off
Happy Memorial Day Weekend
Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend! Thank you to all those brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Our office will be closed in observance of on Monday, May 29, 2023. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 8 a.m. PST.
Medi-Cal Will Soon End Some People’s Benefits. What This Means For You
April 4, 2023 | Source: Los Angeles Times, by Jon Healey Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in earnest, low-income Californians who enrolled in Medi-Cal — California’s version of the government-funded Medicaid health insurance program — have been able to keep their coverage without having to prove every year that they still qualified for it. That’s because the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which President Trump signed