Tiny Religious Figurines, Disciplining Rude Supervisors and More Recent Labor Law Helpline Questions

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara and Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene discuss real employer questions from our Labor Law Helpline — including frequently asked questions and a few unusual ones.

On the podcast, they answer questions on missed meal and rest breaks; paying hourly employees for travel time; accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs; providing extended leave as a reasonable accommodation; disciplining supervisors; providing copies of employees’ personnel file and payroll records; and harassment prevention training.

Listen to the podcast as they discuss recent Helpline questions, such as if employees can sign something to skip their meal break so they can leave 30 minutes early or how to handle a newly hired employee who can’t work one day each week for “religious reasons.”

Other questions include:

• Do employers have to pay premium pay to an employee who keeps skipping their meal break, even after being talked to about it?
• How do employers pay an hourly employee for travel time, including meals?
• Can employers write up a manager for being rude and disrespectful to their staff?
• Do employers have to respond to a former employee requesting a copy of their personnel file and payroll records?
• Can employees refuse to participate in mandatory harassment prevention training if they feel harassed by it?

The CalChamber podcasters even discuss a recent unusual question about how to handle an employee who was placing tiny Jesus figurines around the office, including on coworkers’ desks.

CalChamber’s Labor Law Helpline allows our members to discuss a broad range of employment law-related issues with an employment law expert plus gives us insight into the current issues our members are facing to allow us to better serve member needs. Not a member? See how CalChamber can help you.