Does Your Restaurant’s Policy Cramp Employee (Hair)Styles?

By Allegra A. Jones

California and New York recently became the first two states to protect employees from discrimination based on natural hair and hairstyles traditionally associated with a particular race. New Jersey law may follow. It is important for employers, such as bar and restaurant owners, to recognize policies or practices that could disproportionately impact people of color and to make sure workplace dresscode and grooming policies do not unlawfully prohibit hairstyles including Afros, cornrows, braids, twists and locks. See our Duane Morris Client Alert for more details and links to these new laws.

New California Laws In the Context of #MeToo

By Allegra A. Jones

On January 1, 2019, several new laws that were enacted in the wake of the #MeToo Movement will take effect in California. Employers may be impacted most by the new laws that require sexual harassment training of all employees – not just managers – and affect the confidentiality of settlements regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex discrimination or retaliation. Please see our Duane Morris client alert for more details on these new laws, as well as other laws that will pose significant new challenges for employers.

Summer Updates In California Employment Laws

By Allegra A. Jones

Summertime in San Francisco and other California cities brings legal updates that are taking effect on July 1, 2018. Employers in the restaurant and bar industries should ensure they are complying with the San Francisco Parity in Pay Ordinance (if applicable) and minimum wage increases.  For example, employers affected by the minimum wage increases should ensure that their notices are up to date and confirm with their payroll provider that the increases took effect on July 1. More details about these developments are available here.

New Year’s Resolution for Restaurateurs and Bar Owners

By Allegra A. Jones

As 2017 comes to an end, sexual harassment allegations against celebrity chefs and restauranteurs continue to surface. In the bar and restaurant industry, where alcohol flows like water and employees toil away in close proximity under intense pressure, supervisor and employee misconduct is not entirely surprising.

The news media is covering the consequences of alleged misconduct by celebrity and local chefs, restauranteurs, and TV personalities. They range from Top Chef: Colorado’s decision to edit out New Orleans chef John Besh from an episode of the show, to two major retailers’ pulling of Mario Batali-branded products from their shelves, to a Bay Area bar owner reportedly fleeing the country to avoid charges, as reported by Eater magazine. But, what still needs to be addressed is how to attack the root of the problem. Continue reading “New Year’s Resolution for Restaurateurs and Bar Owners”

CaliBurger Copies In-N-Out and Wins

By Constantine Mittendorf

CaliBurger is an in international burger chain, and it seems to be winning after copying the In-N-Out formula.  When CaliBurger opened in Shanghai in 2011, it openly copied the In-N-Out formula.  It sold Double-Doubles (In-N-Out’s signature burger), Animal-Style fries (In-N-Out’s signature fries), and sodas with palm-trees printed on the cups (In-N-Out’s signature decoration).

Coincidence?  No chance.  Continue reading “CaliBurger Copies In-N-Out and Wins”

Midyear Compliance Check-In for Restaurants and Bars in California

By Allegra A. Jones

Just like checking your smoke detector or the air in your car tires, checking in about employment law updates midyear is a great idea. Here’s a quick primer on some of the most significant, recent developments affecting restaurants and bars:

1. California’s Version of the Equal Pay Act. It’s a good time for all employers to conduct an audit to make sure they are not paying workers of one sex more than workers of the opposite sex who are performing substantially similar work, in violation of the California Fair Pay Act. As of January 1, 2017, California employers must also be able to show that any difference in pay between employees performing substantially similar work is not based on race or ethnicity. For example, if your pay scale is based on merit, seniority, a piecemeal rate, or another valid factor such as education or training, pay disparity may be justifiable. But, the best practice is to conduct a full analysis of the reasons for any pay disparity among your employees, and to make sure that prior wage salary history is not the sole reason for any pay disparity.

2. Marijuana. Even though California “legalized” marijuana in the last election, employers need not permit marijuana use or distribution in the workplace. Under current California law, recreational and medicinal marijuana use does not need to be accommodated. (See Ross v. RagingWire Telecommunications, Inc.) When updating your employee handbook, make sure your drug-free workplace policy explicitly lists marijuana as a prohibited substance, particularly as cannabis is still listed as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) (21 U.S.C. § 812(c)). Continue reading “Midyear Compliance Check-In for Restaurants and Bars in California”

Dangers of Data-Mining in California Restaurants: Song-Beverly Credit Card Act

By Constantine Mittendorf

Data is hugely important in running a successful restaurant today.  Targeted email marketing campaigns can be an invaluable marketing tool.  But trying to collect too much data can land your bistro in hot water.  California has specific laws limiting what data can and cannot be collected – restaurants need to be aware of these limitations or it can be very costly.

Continue reading “Dangers of Data-Mining in California Restaurants: Song-Beverly Credit Card Act”

Will Restaurants and Other Employers Implement the New Overtime Rule on Dec. 1?

By Allegra A. Jones

Employers nationwide, including those in the food and beverage industries, have been gearing up to implement the U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime rule that was scheduled to take effect on December 1.  But, shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday, a Texas federal judge decided to block it, potentially affecting more than 4 million workers.

The Final Rule would have more than doubled the minimum standard salary level for overtime-exempt “white collar” employees—individuals employed in an executive, administrative, or professional (including the salaried computer exemption) capacity—to $47,476 annually (or $913 weekly). In other words, workers paid less than $47,476 would have been entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), unless they fell within another exemption.

Many employers had already announced this wage-and-hour change. However, in State of Nevada v. United States Department of Labor, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Final Rule. Thus, companies have been left scrambling, trying to decide whether Continue reading “Will Restaurants and Other Employers Implement the New Overtime Rule on Dec. 1?”

Is Your Restaurant or Bar Compliant with California’s Voting Laws?

By Allegra A. Jones

Since the 2016 election is less than one week away, all employers in California, including restaurants and bars, should have already posted the required notice informing employees of their right to time off to vote, either in the workplace or where it can be seen by employees as they enter or exit the workplace.  (Cal. Elec. Code § 14001.)

In California, employees are entitled to two hours of paid time off to vote if they don’t haveimg_0581 sufficient time outside of working hours to vote. (Cal. Elec. Code § 14000.) The polls in California are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Paid time off should be at the beginning or end of the employee’s shift, whichever allows the most free time for voting and the least time off from the regular working shift, unless the employer and employee agree to another arrangement.  A maximum of two hours is paid, though employees may take additional unpaid time off if it’s needed to vote. Employees must provide notice two working days prior to the election if, on the third working day before the election, they know or have reason to know they will need leave.  (Cal. Elec. Code § 14000(c).) Continue reading “Is Your Restaurant or Bar Compliant with California’s Voting Laws?”

A Bite-Sized Look at Ballot Measures in California for Restaurants

By Constantine Mittendorf

election-dayThere are eighteen statewide ballot measures that Californians will be voting on this election cycle and countless local measures.  While few items on the ballot directly affect the California restaurant industry as a whole, here are a few statewide and local measures to be aware of:

Continue reading “A Bite-Sized Look at Ballot Measures in California for Restaurants”

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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