EL SEGUNDO HERALD December 21, 2017 Page 3 By Rob McCarthy South Bay employers next year will be paying more and asking less when the state’s minimum wage rises again and a new law ends the practice of asking prospective employees how much they’ve earned at past jobs. The hike in the minimum hourly wage to $11 is just one of the changes that companies must incorporate into their employment practices in the new year. The state minimum wage is scheduled to increase every year on January 1 until it reaches $15 in 2022. Companies with 26 or more employees must pay $11 per hour, while smaller employers are required to pay $10.50 per hour next year. Employers, particularly food service and retailers, could choose to reduce employees’ hours to lessen the impact of the wage hike on payroll and operating expenses. Economists predicted when passed in 2015, the $15 minimum wage law would hurt employment by forcing business owners to cut staff and hours. The other pay-related change ahead for South Bay companies is AB 168, which the Legislature approved in hopes of narrowing the gender pay gap for women. Employers no longer can ask a job candidate about his or her salary history, and instead must provide a salary range for the position if asked what a position pays. Using salary history in pre-employment screening contributed to the gender pay gap, the bill’s supporters said. Men traditionally earn higher salaries than their female counterparts for doing the same work, and knowing salary history gave employers an unfair leverage in salary negotiations, according to supporters of the bill. A person’s salary history cannot be a criterion when a company is considering making an offer of employment either, under the new law. The Legislature a year ago approved a less restrictive law that a company could not rely to past salary to justify a wage gap between two employees with the same job responsibilities. The new law is a total ban of the practice, however. If the applicant “voluntarily and without prompting” provides his or her salary information, the employer may use it “in determining the salary for that applicant,” under the new pay equity law. AB 168 applies to all employers, including state and local government employers and the Legislature. Violation of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule governing past salary is a misdemeanor, subject to a penalty. The Western States Trucking Association denounced the law, saying it “effectively eliminates an employer’s ability to negotiate wage, as well as creates a new reason to sue.” The San Jose School District in the Bay Area also opposed the bill, saying that salary history information was valuable in assessing the quality of candidates for teaching jobs. Local legislators Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood), and State Senator Ben Allen (D-Redondo Beach) supported the bill’s passage. Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) did not cast vote on AB 168. Ahead of the change, employers are being advised to revise job applications, all hiring forms and notices--both online and hard copies. Company hiring materials should omit any questions that could seek salary history information, and policy and procedure manuals for interviewing and screening job applicants should be revised, according to employment law firms. Another change coming for human resource professionals and employment agencies is known as the “ban the box” law. Much like the salary question, employers no longer may ask job applicants during the interviewing process if they’ve been convicted of a crime. An employer can, however, withdraw an offer of employment to a candidate if a conviction or criminal history shows up on a background check. Employers with five or fewer employees are exempt, as are a small number of jobs. Those include government positions that require a criminal background, farm labor contractors and criminal justice positions. Other employment-related changes happening on January 1 include: Unpaid parental leave: The New Parent Leave Act expands the state’s family rights law to allow employees who work for an employer with 20 employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave when a child is born. The existing law applies only to companies with 50 or more employees. This change is expected to affect 2.7 million working Californians, and applies both to private and public employers. Parents of newborns, adopted or foster children are eligible for unpaid leave to bond with a child. Parents who work for the same employer can be asked to share the 12-week leave. Workers may use vacation, sick days or paid personal time off as compensation during their new state-mandated family leave. Whistleblower protection: Senate Bill 306 will expands claims of retaliation by employers against whistleblowers who report alleged workplace violations. It allows the Labor Commissioner to launch an investigation of employers, with or without a complaint being filed. Current law authorizes labor commission investigations only when an employee files a complaint. California law makes it illegal to retaliate against any employee who provides information to a government or law enforcement agency when the employee has reasonable cause to think there is a violation or noncompliance with the law. Workers in whistleblower cases cannot be fired, demoted suspended or disciplined for their actions. Employers who Mediterranean Cuisine Dine In, Take Out, Catering 310 East Grand Ave. El Segundo, CA 90245 310 - 414 - 0400 Monday Through Saturday 11:00 am - 8 pm Happy Holidays 20% Discount for the Holidays Please mention this ad! Letters A Letter To Santa Dear Santa, I am writing to you because the Seniors of El Segundo need a new elevator to go to our activities at the Joslyn Center at Recreation Park. This elevator is “out of service” many, many times throughout the year making it necessary for us seniors to either go up and down the very steep and dangerous staircase from the parking lot or walk much farther to use the ramp. If you are in a wheelchair or carrying supplies for either the stained glass class or painting classes, it is frustrating to have to take a more difficult route to the craft classroom in the Joslyn Center building. So, Santa, can you help us, please? (Also, if you could send an elf or two to repaint the warning stripes on the steep steps, it would be very much appreciated.) Thank you! Afterthought? While we appreciate that there is a menorah present in El Segundo, it seems it might have been more appropriate to be included with all the Centennial celebrations at Library Park. Being the only decoration at city hall it feels like an after thought and not inclusive like I know El Segundo to be. Calendar of Events Deadline for Calendar items is the prior Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1 per word. Email listings to marketing@ heraldpublications.com. We take Visa and MasterCard. THURSDAY, DEC. 21 • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL • El Segundo Farmer’s Market, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street, Downtown FRIDAY, DEC. 22 • Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00 minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Diane: 310-640-9577. • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL SATURDAY, DEC. 23 • Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45 PM., Cost: $3.00 Per Person, Adults of all Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705. SUNDAY, DEC. 24 • MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!! MONDAY, DEC. 25 • MERRY CHRISTMAS! • El Segundo Public Library – CLOSED for Christmas • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL TUESDAY, DEC. 26 • Pinochle, 11:30 AM. – 3:30 PM., Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27 • Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus, Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, Cost: $8.25 for 3 games, Call Joyce at: 310-322-7621. • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL THURSDAY, DEC. 28 • El Segundo Farmer’s Market, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street, Downtown El Segundo. • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, DEC. 29 • Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00 minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Diane: 310-640-9577. • Winter Break for All ESUSD Schools – NO SCHOOL SATURDAY, DEC. 30 • Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45 PM., Cost: $3.00 Per Person, Adults of all Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705. SUNDAY, DEC. 31 • HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE!! MONDAY, JAN. 1 • HAPPY NEW YEAR!! – NO SCHOOL for ESUSD Students • El Segundo Public Library – CLOSED for New Year’s Day TUESDAY, JAN. 2 • BACK TO SCHOOL for all ESUSD Students • Pinochle, 11:30 AM. – 3:30 PM., Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. • City Council Meeting, 7:00 PM., City Hall, 350 Main Street, Call: 310-524-2306. • El Segundo Kiwanis Club Meeting, 12:10 PM., The Lakes at El Segundo, 400 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Contact: elsegundokiwanis.org. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3 • Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus, Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, Cost: $8.25 for 3 games, Call Joyce at: 310-322-7621. • ESHS PTA Meeting, 7:00 PM. – 8:00 PM., ESHS Library, 640 Main Street, Call: 310-615-2662. THURSDAY, JAN. 4 • El Segundo Farmer’s Market, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street, Downtown El Segundo. • Visit us online: www.heraldpublications.com Season’s Greetings from – Shannon Magid Douglass MORTUARY “Our Family Serving Yours Since 1954” – Gayle Tarr El Segundo 500 EAST IMPERIAL AVENUE, EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA 90245 Te l e p h o n e ( 3 1 0 ) 6 4 0 - 9 3 2 5 • F a x ( 3 1 0 ) 6 4 0 - 0 7 7 8 • F D 6 5 8 Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW Lifetime El Segundo Residents Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Wishing You A Happy And Safe Holiday Season New Laws Passed to End Pay Gap and Harassment in the Workplace See New Laws, page 4
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