Employment Law Archives - Watkins Firm https://watkinsfirm.com/category/employment-law/ Proven Strategies. Experienced. Highly Recommended. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:55:39 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://watkinsfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Watkins-Favicon-100x100.jpg Employment Law Archives - Watkins Firm https://watkinsfirm.com/category/employment-law/ 32 32 New San Diego Minimum Wage Rates for 2026 Take Effect Jan 1st https://watkinsfirm.com/new-san-diego-minimum-wage-rates-for-2026/ Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:00:06 +0000 https://watkinsfirm.com/?p=10898 The new San Diego minimum wage rates for 2026 take effect Jan 1st, 2026.  The rate will increase to $17.75 per our (up from $17.25/hour), and applies to any worker who performs a minimum of two hours of work in even a single calendar week of 2026.  The new rate must be observed and implemented […]

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]]> How Do Employment Contracts Prevent Wage and Hour Litigation https://watkinsfirm.com/how-do-employment-contracts-prevent-wage-and-hour-litigation/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000 https://watkinsfirm.com/?p=7660 How do employment contracts prevent wage and hour litigation in San Diego and throughout California?  How can our employee handbook, policies and procedures and the employment contract itself work together to facilitate a relationship of productivity and work success? There has never been a higher number of employee related disputes clogging the San Diego Court […]

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]]> Employment Contracts are Important Business Documents https://watkinsfirm.com/employment-contracts-are-important-business-documents/ Sat, 08 Aug 2020 09:00:07 +0000 https://watkinsfirm.com/?p=6852 California Courts tend to favor the employee when an employment dispute arises between an employer and one of their workers.  This is why well crafted employment contracts are important business documents and a vital component in any effective San Diego business strategy.  The employer defense and business contract attorneys at the Watkins Firm do not […]

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]]> An Important Wage and Hour Lawsuit Against Apple Begins Tomorrow in San Diego https://watkinsfirm.com/an-important-wage-and-hour-lawsuit-against-apple-begins-tomorrow-in-san-diego/ Mon, 17 Oct 2016 20:06:01 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=3030 Apple (yes, THAT Apple) is scheduled to face a class action lawsuit that begins tomorrow morning here in San Diego Superior Court.  The important wage and hour lawsuit against Apple began in 2011 when four Apple retail employees filed suit alleging several violations of wage and hour laws including: Failure to provide timely rest and meal […]

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]]> New DOL Overtime Rules Left Some Policies Unchanged https://watkinsfirm.com/new-dol-overtime-rules-left-some-policies-unchanged/ Thu, 23 Jun 2016 15:10:47 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=2830 The Department of Labor or DOL recently released new federal overtime regulations that will take effect December 1 of this year.  The new DOL overtime rules may have a tremendous effect on some San Diego employers as the new overtime threshold increased to $913 a week or $46,467 per year.  The good news for many […]

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]]> What is Considered a Working Hour under New Federal Overtime Laws? https://watkinsfirm.com/what-is-considered-a-working-hour-under-new-federal-overtime-laws/ Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:39:28 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=2799 By now, you have probably heard of the sweeping changes made to federal overtime laws in mid-May of this year.  Previous blogs have covered the basic rules for overtime, what has changed based upon the new law, and a few strategies to prevent unpaid overtime allegations. In this installment, we will focus on what is […]

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]]> New Federal Overtime Rules Modify Eligibility as Well as Income https://watkinsfirm.com/new-federal-overtime-rules-modify-eligibility-as-well-as-income/ Mon, 23 May 2016 15:15:21 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=2734 The US Department of Labor has released updated regulations relating to overtime pay for more than 4 million American workers.  The new federal overtime rules modify eligibility as well as the income threshold for qualification.  Under the new overtime guidelines, almost all workers who earn less than $913 per week or $47,476 annually will automatically […]

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]]> New Federal Overtime Laws Expected to Be Released https://watkinsfirm.com/new-federal-overtime-laws-expected-to-be-released/ Tue, 17 May 2016 00:02:11 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=2728 The rash of unpaid overtime lawsuits in California recently is about to become even more complex with the highly anticipated release of new federal overtime laws expected in the immediate future.  Many San Diego employers are concerned about the impact of these regulations and how they will impact how companies hire, classify and pay employees […]

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]]> Present Overtime Rules Are About to Significantly Change https://watkinsfirm.com/present-overtime-rules-are-about-to-significantly-change/ Mon, 16 May 2016 00:04:35 +0000 https://www.watkinsfirm.com/?p=2730 The present minimum hourly / salary minimums for exemption from overtime are expected to substantially change this week as new federal overtime rules are released.  Presently, a managerial, executive or professional worker who earns more than $23,660 annually could be exempted from overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours in a work week.  […]

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