The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay employees at least minimum wage for every hour (or fraction) worked, and to pay overtime (at time-and-a-half) for all time exceeding 40 hours in a week. Some states and … Continue reading →
June 21st, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: exempt-nonexempt classification, fair labor standards act, managerial exemption
Articles, Compliance, Contracts, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, Liberty, Risk Management, Uncategorized | No Comments »
In a tightening market for talent (especially tech talent), your company’s culture is a key differentiator. The CEO of Scentsy, (a company known for being a great place to work) recently said: “The right company culture attracts the right people … Continue reading →
May 30th, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: company culture, Employee handbook, employment law, employment policies, legal compliance, review team
Articles, Attorney - Client Relationship, Compliance, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, In-house Counsel, Intellectual Property, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Outsourced GC, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Here’s a risk management tip for employers who aren’t located in California but decide they need to hire people residing in the Golden State. Many states permit employers to include non-compete clauses in their employment agreements. With rare exception, … Continue reading →
May 23rd, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: California Law, non-compete clause, Risk Management
Articles, Attorney - Client Relationship, Compliance, Contracts, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, In-house Counsel, Litigation, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
We at InnovaCounsel recently asked several software company execs this question: “What are the big issues that are costing you sleep these nights?” Last week, we addressed the issue: “Use of [independent] contractors and having various taxing agencies dictate … Continue reading →
April 25th, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: intellectual property, IP, New Hire Orientation, Software Ownership claims
Articles, Attorney - Client Relationship, Compliance, Contracts, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, In-house Counsel, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Outsourced GC, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
We at InnovaCounsel recently asked several software company execs this question: “What are the big issues that are costing you sleep these nights?” We are getting some very thoughtful responses. We will, from time to time, post an … Continue reading →
April 18th, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: economic realities test, employee classification, employees, Independant contractor
Articles, Attorney - Client Relationship, Compliance, Contracts, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, In-house Counsel, Litigation, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Outsourced GC, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Top Five Ways CEOs Can Utilize Business Lawyers You’ve heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. How can you apply that if you are the CEO of a company that’s not yet big enough … Continue reading →
April 4th, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: CEO, contracts, Human Resources, Independent Contractor, Sales contract
Articles, Attorney - Client Relationship, Compliance, Contracts, Employment, Employment Contracts, Fundamentals, General, In-house Counsel, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Outsourced GC, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Once you have figured out what your company’s trade secrets are, it is vital to engage your employees in the effort to protect them from improper use or disclosure. Remind employees that company prosperity is vital to employee prosperity. … Continue reading →
March 31st, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: employment, Inventions, trade secret information, Trade Secret Protection, Trade Secrets
Articles, Employment, Intellectual Property, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Trade secrets are inventions and methods that have value to your company and that would lose value if they were disclosed to your competitors. Did you know there is a good chance every company has some trade secret information? … Continue reading →
March 30th, 2017 by MOswald | Tags: employment, Inventions, trade secret information, Trade Secrets
Articles, Employment, Intellectual Property, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Risk Management, Strategy, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Employee training is essential to an organization’s success. It was once thought of as an optional benefit, and was often the first area to go during cutbacks. However, employ training programs are more important now than ever before. There are … Continue reading →
February 20th, 2017 by Stuart Blake | Tags: Advising Companies, Avoiding Litigation, employee, employer, employment contracts
Compliance, Employment, Employment Contracts, Risk Management | No Comments »
Due to the regular addition of new laws, companies should be continuously reviewing, updating and improving their employee policies. The beginning of the year is a good time to review policies and adjust them to match the new requirements that … Continue reading →
January 13th, 2017 by Stuart Blake | Tags: Advising Companies, Avoiding Litigation, employee, employer, Social Media Policy
Compliance, Employment, Employment Contracts, In-house Counsel, Litigation, Risk Management | No Comments »