Employment Law Blog

California’s Gig Economy Law: 5 Things to Know

The new “Gig Economy Law” – also known as Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) – was signed into law on September 18, 2019.  How much the law will actually impact California companies, employees and independent contractors has been a hot topic ever since.   Here are five things you should know about AB5:  1.  The law’s intent is to guard against further “erosion of the middle class and the rise in income inequality,” and to protect workers from being exploited in the gig economy. ...

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Employment Law Blog

Fired at Will – You Can Lose Your Job for Any Reason

You might feel that you have cannot be fired without a good reason. Many people feel the same way. But the brutal truth is that you can be fired for any reason or no reason. This is due to the employment at will rule.  In order to understand this rule better, lets take a look at a real word...

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Employment Law Blog

Silicon Valley Sexual Harassment

Silicon Valley sexual harassment is getting a lot of attention lately.   Although it has been an issue for a long time, many women in the industry have recently shared their sexual harassment stories.  As a result, a growing number of executives accused of sexual harassment are stepping down from their positions. One cannot help but wonder, what prevented women in Silicon Valley from...

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Employment Law Blog

FMLA Retaliation Cases

FMLA retaliation cases are potent weapons that can flip the balance of power in favor of employees.   Employees can really stand up for themselves and recover good settlements.   This video explains why these cases are so powerful for employees and bad for employers. You can also read a transcript of the video below: Hi, I’m Robert Ottinger....

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Employment Law Blog

10 Severance Pay Negotiation Tips

If you are evaluating a severance agreement, you should consider speaking to one of the experienced severance lawyers at Ottinger Employment Lawyers.   The video below provides some insight into the key terms in a severance package.   We offer a severance agreement review and strategy session for $750. A self-help guide to negotiating your own severance package. No...

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Employment Law Blog

Six Key Points to Consider when Reviewing a Severance Agreement

These tips may help you evaluate your severance package.   Each case is different so mileage may vary.   It’s a great idea to consult with an experienced New York severance lawyer. 1. What is the severance pay schedule? Many companies will propose a payout in 30 or 45 days after execution of the severance agreement. There is no reason...

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Employment Law Blog

Business Expense Reimbursement for San Francisco Employees

Many San Francisco employees are required to commute between two or more work sites during the day.  This obligation raises several important issues that San Francisco employees should be aware of.  First, San Francisco employees are entitled to be reimbursed for all work related out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel related expenses, cell phone charges, meal and entertainment expenses, and...

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Employment Law Blog

New York Severance Agreements

As a general rule, employment relationships in New York are at-will. Typically, that means you can be terminated for any reason (or even no reason), so long as your employer is not basing the decision on a discriminatory or retaliatory motive. Despite this general rule, many companies offer terminated executives New York  severance agreements to ease the transition for...

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Employment Law Blog

New York Non Compete Agreements Can Shackle Your Career

Historically, New York non compete agreements have been used to protect narrow and legitimate interests. For instance, a non-compete clause might limit the ability of high-level executives with access to trade secrets to use that information to a company’s disadvantage.  Or a non-compete agreement might allow a company to sideline a former employee with deep customer relationships for a period of...

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Employment Law Blog

Non-Compete Agreements are Bad for Business

As you may know, New York and most other states do not prohibit non-compete agreements. In fact, NY courts will enforce these agreements. In California, non-compete agreements have been prohibited since 1850 and many believe that this policy has contributed to the growth of California’s economy and especially so in the technology field. A while back, the National Law Journal ran an...

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