George Howard Jr. Quoted in Law360 Article About California Supreme Court Ruling on Employer Penalties as Wages
George Howard Jr., a Labor, Employment & Benefits partner in the Quarles & Brady San Diego office, shared his perspective in a Law360 article on the implications of a California Supreme Court ruling that penalties employers owe workers should be treated as wages.
Last year’s ruling held that penalties owed by employers for things such as not giving workers rest and meal breaks should be treated as wages and included on pay statements. In an excerpt, Howard addressed what employers can do to avoid getting in this situation:
George Howard Jr., a Quarles & Brady LLP partner who advises employers, said Naranjo made compliance more important. But it didn't change what employers should actually do to insulate themselves, he said.
"Good employers have very clear rules about meal and rest periods," he said.
Electronic timekeeping systems that track down to the minute and ask employees whether they took breaks would be a wise investment for most employers, he added.
"Naranjo definitely increased the value of these claims for the plaintiffs," he said. "What you want to do is make it as difficult as possible for there to be violations."