Fairgrieve Law Office

Fairgrieve Law Office Fairgrieve Law Office is a boutique law firm specializing in labor and employment law in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The firm handles a full range of legal services for employers, including human resources advice and training, issue-specific counsel, and full litigation, administrative hearing and appellate work. The employment practice at Fairgrieve Law Office is rooted in providing sound legal advice and counsel to small and medium-size companies that have limited in-house legal resources of their own. The fir

m assists clients establish and review workplace policies, and face employee legal complaints and compliance issues as they arise. As many businesses know, compliance with California labor law is complicated and constantly evolving. When working with clients, Fairgrieve Law helps create and enact the right policies from the outset, ensuring that when legal situations happen, the organization stands ready to mount a sound defense with the firm’s assistance.

**DISCLAIMER** Any statement contained herein does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the ultimate result or outcome of your legal matter. This social media account is not intended to be an advertisement or solicitation outside the state of California. Fairgrieve Law Office’s practice is limited to California state and federal matters. This page contains attorney advertising and is not intended to provide legal advice whatsoever. The information received on this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. © Fairgrieve Law 2015-2017 All Rights Reserved

Your employee handbook is either protecting your business, or leaving it exposed. Summer is the right time to find out w...
06/05/2026

Your employee handbook is either protecting your business, or leaving it exposed. Summer is the right time to find out which.

I work with California employers on handbooks every week. The ones that cause problems? Almost always outdated, too generic, or built for a different state's laws entirely.

In some cases, the handbook isn’t drafted for any state in particular. They say things like “The policies outlined in this handbook are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws. To the extent that any policy herein conflicts with the laws of the state or municipality where an employee works, the applicable state or local law will govern and supersede that policy.” If you see this wording in your handbook, it is not a helpful document to you or your employees.

California has some of the most complex employment laws in the country, and local requirements in San Francisco add another layer. A handbook that doesn't reflect that isn't just incomplete. It's a liability.

Here's what a compliant, well-drafted handbook actually does:
* Sets clear expectations employees can refer to
* Reflects current California and local SF law
* Gives you documented policies to stand behind when issues arise
* Reduces the gray areas that turn into disputes

Summer is a natural pause — let us handle the handbook while your team is in the field. Whether you're building your first one or haven't updated yours in years, my firm does this work every day for employers across California.
📞 Book your handbook audit with us. Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧 email us at [email protected]

Pregnancy accommodations are not a courtesy, they are the law. The EEOC recently filed a federal court action to enforce...
06/04/2026

Pregnancy accommodations are not a courtesy, they are the law. The EEOC recently filed a federal court action to enforce a subpoena against JamRock Solutions, an Amazon delivery partner, which allegedly denied a pregnant driver's request for a lifting restriction accommodation, passed her over for a dispatcher role she was qualified for, and ultimately removed her from the schedule entirely. The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers to engage meaningfully with accommodation requests related to pregnancy and ignoring an EEOC subpoena during the investigation only makes things worse. California employers also must be aware of their obligations under the California Fair Employment and Housing Acts as they relate to pregnant employees. Every employer with a pregnant employee on staff should have a clear, documented accommodation process in place. We're here to help you build one. Share this post with a business owner who needs to hear it. See https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-files-subpoena-enforcement-action-against-jamrock-solutions for more information.

📞 Questions? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

Join us for our final in-person meeting TOMORROW, before summer break, for what promises to be one of our most meaningf...
06/03/2026

Join us for our final in-person meeting TOMORROW, before summer break, for what promises to be one of our most meaningful and personally impactful meetings of the year. We ask that attendees bring their own lunch to enjoy.

Topics will include:
- Long-term financial and care planning
- Wills, trusts, and estate considerations
- Downsizing and future living transitions
- Organizing for future needs and reducing stress for loved ones
- Preparing thoughtfully before life changes occur

Speaker Feature: Jelena Kelleher of Jelena Kelleher Law https://www.jelenaklaw.com/

Jelena Kelleher, founder of Jelena Kelleher Law, believes that the best inheritance you can leave behind is a good estate plan with clear directives that takes the guess work out of the process and allows loved ones the space to celebrate your life. Her presentation will cover key estate planning considerations, including wills, trusts, and the practical implications that arise when important decisions and documents are left unaddressed.

Planning for the future involves more than finances alone — it also means preparing your home, your family, and your life for the transitions that may come with time. Whether you are planning for yourself, supporting aging parents, or simply wanting to be better prepared for the future, this discussion will provide practical guidance, valuable insight, and important conversations worth having now, not later.

Additional speakers are:
- Sylvia Abejuela of New York Life https://www.newyorklife.com/agent/sabejuela
- Breeze Carlile of It's a Breeze Moving https://www.itsabreezemoving.com/

Register at https://www.pwnetwork.com/registration
Don’t forget to bring a friend!

A job offer followed by a refusal to accommodate a disability isn't a hiring decision, it's a federal violation. ALM Fre...
05/29/2026

A job offer followed by a refusal to accommodate a disability isn't a hiring decision, it's a federal violation.

ALM Freight and employment agency LMDmax agreed to pay $107,000 to resolve an EEOC disability discrimination lawsuit after allegedly revoking a job offer when a deaf applicant asked for a sign language interpreter for new hire orientation. The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, and that duty applies during the hiring and onboarding process, not just after day one. See https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/alm-freight-and-lmdmax-pay-107000-eeoc-disability-discrimination-lawsuit

If you use a staffing agency, know that both your company and the agency can be held responsible. We help employers understand their obligations and build hiring practices that are truly compliant. 📞 Questions? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

A $372,500 settlement is a costly reminder that having an anti-harassment policy isn't enough - it has to be put into ac...
05/28/2026

A $372,500 settlement is a costly reminder that having an anti-harassment policy isn't enough - it has to be put into action.

Louisville Comedy Club agreed to pay $372,500 after an EEOC investigation found that employees were subjected to sexual harassment by a manager, and that the company failed to comply with mandatory federal reporting requirements and failed to post the required workplace discrimination notice. A written policy sitting in a drawer protects no one. Employers must have a clear system for reporting complaints, a process for prompt investigation, and designated leadership responsible for compliance, which includes ensuring your required postings and EEO reporting obligations are met.

We help employers build the compliant, human-centered workplace policies and training that safeguard both employees and the business before an investigation begins. Call us to review your harassment prevention policies and complaint procedures. See https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/louisville-comedy-club-will-pay-372500-conciliate-eeoc-sexual-harassment-charges for more information.

📞 Questions about anti-harassment trainings? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

🚺Join us for our final in-person meeting before summer break for what promises to be one of our most meaningful and pers...
05/27/2026

🚺Join us for our final in-person meeting before summer break for what promises to be one of our most meaningful and personally impactful meetings of the year. 🤩 It will be an enlightening conversation to provide clarity for the future, and confidence for the journey.

Planning for the future involves more than finances alone — it also means preparing your home, your family, and your life for the transitions that may come with time.

Many important conversations surrounding long-term planning, estate preparation, downsizing, and future living considerations are often postponed or treated as something to think about “later.” Yet thoughtful preparation today can make an enormous difference for both individuals and the people they love.

Whether you are planning for yourself, supporting aging parents, or simply wanting to be better prepared for the future, this discussion will provide practical guidance, valuable insight, and important conversations worth having now, not later.

Register at https://www.pwnetwork.com/registration
Attendees will be able to choose/pay for their own lunches at the meeting.

Hate activity is increasing. The California Commission on the State of Hate (Commission) released its third annual repor...
05/26/2026

Hate activity is increasing.

The California Commission on the State of Hate (Commission) released its third annual report with new interim policy recommendations to strengthen existing efforts to combat hate. The report also documents the Commission’s work to date and trends in hate activity across California. See https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/2026/02/23/commission-on-the-state-of-hate-releases-new-report-documenting-trends-in-hate-activity-across-california/

In the context of the rise in hate crimes, it is a good time to remember that, as employers, we have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent such conduct from entering the workplace. Steps that employers can take include providing required anti-harassment training in which employees can learn about and discuss topics of workplace harassment and bullying, and ensuring workplace violence prevention plans and trainings are up-to-date.

📞 Questions about our training plans? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

Thinking of expanding your business with a new storefront in San Francisco? There may be a grant available that can help...
05/22/2026

Thinking of expanding your business with a new storefront in San Francisco? There may be a grant available that can help you open a new location along certain corridors. The Storefront Opportunity Grant (SOG) provides a grant between $50,000 - $100,000 to eligible businesses to help offset the cost of their first year of operations. Eligibility requirements include having a pre-existing business with three or more years of operations, having 100 or fewer employees, and having $5 million or less in gross business revenue.

Eligible businesses may receive a $50,000-$100,000 grant to open a new storefront with an executed lease. Apply with a newly signed, executed lease. Deadline to apply: May 29 at 5:00PM. https://www.sf.gov/apply-for-a-grant-to-open-a-new-storefront-lease

We posted yesterday about the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Note there are a few E...
05/21/2026

We posted yesterday about the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Note there are a few Exceptions and Limitations:

* Five-Year Limit: The cumulative total of military service with a single employer cannot exceed five years, with exceptions for initial periods of active duty and required annual training.
* Reemployment Exemptions: Reemployment may not be required if the employer’s circumstances have changed so drastically that reemployment is impossible or unreasonable, or if the original job was temporary.
* Dishonorable Discharge: Service members must not have been released from service under dishonorable or other punitive conditions.

Check out the handy guide for more exceptions and explanations at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra/USERRA-Pocket-Guide

📞 Questions? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

Employers must comply with The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by granting military l...
05/20/2026

Employers must comply with The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by granting military leave, preventing discrimination, and ensuring prompt reemployment of service members to their "escalator position"—the role they would have attained if not for their service.

Key responsibilities include maintaining benefits, providing reasonable accommodation for service-related disabilities, and ensuring up to five years of job protection, with specific exceptions.

Key Employer USERRA Responsibilities/Reemployment Rights:
* Employers must promptly reemploy returning service members to their "escalator position," which is the position—including seniority, status, and pay—they would have attained had they remained continuously employed.
* Leave of Absence: Employers are required to grant leaves of absence for military service. They cannot require employees to use vacation time for military duty, though employees may choose to do so.
* Protection Against Discrimination: Employers cannot deny initial employment, reemployment, retention, promotion, or benefits based on past, present, or future military service.
* Notice and Documentation: Employers must accept verbal or written notice of service, preferably with 30 days' notice, and they cannot demand unnecessary documentation that delays leave.
* Benefits Protection: Health benefits must be allowed to continue for up to 24 months, and seniority-based benefits must accrue as if the employee had not left.
* Training/Accommodation: If a service member has a disability incurred or aggravated during service, the employer must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability or retrain the employee for a position they can perform.
* Notification Requirement: Employers must provide employees with a notice of their rights, benefits, and obligations under USERRA, often satisfied by posting a notice in the workplace. This notice might be included in all-in-one labor law posters that employers typically hang, or the stand alone poster can be found here: https://ow.ly/2Nes50Z1ish

For more information:
https://ow.ly/Kg4K50Z1isk

📞 Questions? Call us at 415-890-6057 or 📧email us at [email protected]

Address

126 WEST PORTAL Avenue
San Francisco, CA
94127

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+14158906057

Website

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