Workplace Legal Employment Lawyers, A Professional Law Corporation

09/28/2026

California employers don't have to grant every religious accommodation request, but they can't reject one simply because their preferred policy is safer or easier to administer.

In Lewis-Williams v. BART, the Ninth Circuit made it clear that the right question isn't whether accommodation is inconvenient; it's whether it would impose a burden that's excessive or unjustifiable given your actual business operations. That's a harder standard to meet than most employers realize, and a significantly harder one than the old "de minimis" threshold that federal law previously applied.

What does this mean for your business?

• Treat religious and disability accommodation requests with the same rigor: individualized analysis, documented reasoning, real engagement with alternatives

• Don't rely on blanket policies or generalized safety concerns to carry the weight of a denial

• If you reject a proposed accommodation, your records need to show why it would create significant difficulty or expense, not just why you'd prefer not to do it

• A denial of the employee's preferred accommodation isn't necessarily the end of the process

If your denial letters reference policy more than they reference the employee in front of you, that's a problem worth fixing now. In this blog, Senior Counsel Cari A. Cohorn reviews what the current standards require and best practices for accommodation requests: https://workplacelegalpc.com/federal-standards-for-accommodating-religious-beliefs-becoming-more-similar-to-standards-for-accommodating-disability-california-state-law/

09/24/2026

The offer letter hits your inbox, you counter on salary, they nudge it up, and you sign. Unfortunately, you may have left the most valuable parts of the deal on the table.

Here's what most executives miss: base salary is one line in an executive package, and often not the line that matters most. Bonus structure, incentive equity, the right to severance, benefits, vacation, and contractual language are all negotiable. Focus only on the number at the top and you may be missing out.

💰 Treat the package as a whole. A slightly lower base with more guaranteed equity and a contractual right to severance often produces more real money than a bigger salary. Run the total, not the headline.

📋 Put bonus, equity, and severance on the table.

Regarding bonus — How is it calculated? Strictly on your performance, or company performance too? Are the metrics objective, or are there subjective elements? If you leave mid-year, do you get a pro-rata portion of that bonus?

Regarding equity — Is the total equity promised correct? How much vests upon your start vs. over time? What happens if you're terminated before everything vests? If a company wants you badly enough, you have leverage.

Regarding severance — Request that they pay you severance if they fire you “without Cause.” Many executives stop there, and that’s fine. But why not ask for a double-triggered severance that requires them to pay if you resign “with Good Reason”?

⚖️ Weigh benefits, vacation, and protections too. Restrictive covenants, non-solicitation obligations, change-of-control terms, and alternate dispute provisions (like mandatory arbitration) shape your options long after the excitement of the offer wears off.

At Workplace Legal, we don't just know the rules: we've played the game. If you're navigating an employment issue and need counsel that understands the real-world context around it, let's talk. Learn more about us: https://workplacelegalpc.com/why-workplace-legal/

09/22/2026

You may not employ a single minimum wage worker, but that doesn't mean California's 2027 wage increase won't impact your payroll.

California's statewide is set to rise to $17.40 per hour for every employer, regardless of size: that's Labor Code §1182.12 doing its annual inflation adjustment. But §515 ties the exempt salary floor to twice the minimum wage, so on January 1, 2027, the minimum salary for most executive, administrative, and professional exemptions jumps to $72,384 per year.

Underpay an exempt employee, and you don't have a cheap exemption; you have a misclassified worker, back overtime, and penalties. Wage-and-hour mistakes compound fast, and "we didn't know the rate changed" doesn't tend to persuade a judge. Employers should also remember that $17.40 is only the statewide minimum, and many cities and counties impose higher local minimum wages.

Counsel Will Abramovitz reviews the full 2027 picture in this blog: https://workplacelegalpc.com/california-employers-minimum-wage-is-going-up-again-in-2027/

09/15/2026

A demand letter from a former employee just landed on your desk. What now?

It arrives with a deadline and a dollar amount attached, and alleges wage violations, discrimination, or wrongful termination. Your first instinct might be to pick up your phone and call your former employee. Or to fire off an angry email to the lawyer who wrote the letter. Don’t do either. That would be a costly mistake.

The good news? A demand letter is a warning signal, not a final blow; the right legal counsel, combined with preserved evidence and a sharp strategy, can put you in the strongest possible position to defend your business. The difference between a manageable dispute and a costly one often comes down to the way you respond, and Managing Shareholder Jeffrey S. Sloan shares more in this blog post. Read below:

https://workplacelegalpc.com/youve-received-a-demand-letter-now-what/

09/09/2026

Is your company running every workplace accommodation request through a single, uniform process?

The instinct to standardize requests is understandable, but the result is a process that's too heavy for simple cases and too thin for complex ones. A one-size-fits-all accommodation process treats a two-week lifting restriction the same as an indefinite leave, and there's a smarter way to structure this.

Danielle Roberts breaks down a better framework in our latest blog post. Read it below:

https://workplacelegalpc.com/beyond-one-size-fits-all-a-better-workplace-accommodation-process/

09/01/2026

In California , "garden-variety" emotional distress can cost you $12.5 million.

In Glick v. City of Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeal reinstated a $13.1 million jury verdict for two LAPD officers who prevailed on gender-discrimination and retaliation claims. Of that total, $12.5 million was noneconomic damages for emotional distress, awarded without psychiatrists, treating providers, or authority witnesses.

California law imposes no fixed cap on emotional distress damages just because a plaintiff skips therapy or authority testimony. An employee's own account of career harm, family strain, and damage to their dignity can support a multi-million-dollar award. For employers, the message couldn't be clearer: the absence of medical records is an argument, not a guarantee, and “garden-variety” does not mean low value.

Don't wait for a lawsuit to start thinking about your defense. Find an overview of the case and practical takeaways for employers in our latest blog: https://workplacelegalpc.com/california-court-rejects-cap-on-damages-for-garden-variety-emotional-distress/

08/22/2026

SF Expands Paid Parental Leave Rights

On August 7, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed a new law cutting the amount of time a covered employee has to work for a covered employer before being eligible for paid parental leave under the City's Paid Parental Leve Ordinance ("PPLO"). Previously, a covered employee in San Francisco had to work for a covered employer for 180 days before being eligible for paid leave under the PPLO....

On August 7, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an expansion of the City's paid parental leave ordinance ("PPLO").

08/21/2026

Workplace Legal is proud to announce that Jeffrey S. Sloan, Managing Shareholder, and Corina Gallardo, Counsel, have been recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®️.

Jeffrey has been named to The Best Lawyers in America®️ 2027 for Employment Law - Management, a recognition he's earned annually since 2021.

Corina has been selected for Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®️ in America 2027 in both Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment.

Best Lawyers honors attorneys across the United States for professional excellence as determined by their peers, and recognition is a reflection of the dedication and skill that Jeffrey and Corina bring to their work.

To learn more about what we do, visit: https://workplacelegalpc.com/capabilities/

06/24/2026

Navigating AI Risks in Hiring: A Stakeholder Approach

Companies are managing different risks and worries when it comes to AI in hiring. According to a recent article in Fast Company magazine, when considering an AI system in hiring, the different stakeholders in a company have different concerns and risk tolerances. Human Resources HR leaders need confidence that AI will support, not replace, human judgment and that it will not create discriminatory outcomes....

For a company considering adding AI to their hiring, a recent Fast Company argues that addressing the concerns of all stakeholders is key.

06/22/2026

Using AI Can Waive Your Attorney-Client Privilege

Two recent cases explain the risks that arise when clients use AI to address legal issues....

Two recent cases, Heppner and Warner, explain the risk of using AI to address legal issues and answer legal questions.