The Workplace: a Podcast by CalChamber

Episode 13: Ghost Employees and Applicants

In this episode of The Workplace, CalChamber General Counsel and Executive Vice President Erika Frank discusses employee “ghosting” with Attorney and Employment Law Expert Jennifer Shaw. The two describe this new phenomenon and the legal implications that may arise for employers.

Episode 12: Go-go Economy Fuels Record Budget Surplus

On this episode of The Workplace, CalChamber President Allan Zaremberg talks with Loren Kaye, President of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education about the private sector’s role in creating a record state budget surplus. On the heels of the Governor’s May Budget Revision, the two provide in depth perspective on the wisdom of California’s spending priorities, especially given the state’s volatile tax system. Zaremberg and Kaye provide recommendations on how the state can protect both its economy and job creation well into the future.

Episode 11: Labor Headlines

Employment Law and HR Snafus In the News
On this episode of The Workplace, CalChamber General Counsel and Executive Vice President Erika Frank is joined by Jennifer Shaw, Founding Partner of the Shaw Law Group to discuss recent employment law snafus making headlines. Frank and Shaw discuss the implications of events highlighted in three recent news stories: The first recounts a company’s job announcement seeking “preferably Caucasian” candidates; the second involves an employer’s attempt to establish a no-touching workplace; and the third describes problems that can be created in the workplace due to texting mishaps.

Episode 10: Marijuana and the Workplace

In this episode of The Workplace, CalChamber General Counsel and Executive Vice President Erika Frank is joined by employment law attorney Jennifer Shaw to discuss how legalization of marijuana is impacting both workers and business owners in California. The two employment law experts dive into details about the profound impact that legalization of recreational pot is having on both recruitment and retention of employees. They further discuss the parameters of both pre-employment and reasonable suspicion drug testing and provide perspective on an employer’s ability to maintain a drug free workplace.

Episode 9: Legislative Trend: Expanded Leaves of Absence

California often is recognized as one of the most family-friendly states given its myriad of employment leaves of absence and protections. Despite the state already being a leader on this issue, however, expanding or creating more leave policies continues to be an active area of legislation. Erika Frank, CalChamber Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, and Jennifer Barrera, CalChamber Executive Vice President review and discuss three bills seeking to expand protected leaves of absence in California.

Episode 8: Labor Law Helpline: What’s Your Question?

California’s complex employment laws prompted 22,000 calls to the CalChamber Labor Law Helpline in 2018. On the latest episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber President Allan Zaremberg and Erika Frank, CalChamber Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, discuss the most frequently asked questions—a good indicator of the compliance issues that are the most challenging for California businesses.

Episode 7: Taxes, Taxes and More Taxes

Even though California is enjoying its ninth straight year of economic growth and the state has a solid budget surplus and a brimming Rainy Day Fund, California legislators can’t seem to resist the temptation to raise taxes. This week on The Workplace, CalChamber President Allan Zaremberg and Loren Kaye, president of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, highlight just a handful of the more than $15 billion in new taxes policymakers are considering. On the list of possible items lawmakers would like to tax is everything from medicine to tires and businesses.

Episode 6: Men and #MeToo Movement

The latest episode of CalChamber’s The Workplace podcast focuses on men and the #MeToo movement. As more publicity is being given to instances of sexual harassment around the country, men have responded to news stories and other developments in a variety of ways. Some will no longer meet with female colleagues or socialize with women coworkers to protect themselves from the possibility of being wrongfully accused of harassment. Erika Frank, CalChamber Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, is joined by Jennifer Shaw, President of the Shaw Law Group, to shed light on these issues and provide perspective on the #MeToo movement.

Episode 5: Legislative Changes Needed to Fix California Consumer Privacy Act

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a sweeping privacy law that applies to businesses of all sizes across almost every industry. In this episode of The Workplace, CalChamber President Allan Zaremberg is joined by CalChamber Executive Vice President Jennifer Barrera and Policy Advocate Sarah Boot to talk about the challenges of implementing the CCPA. The trio digs deep into the potential costs to both business and consumers posed by the CCPA as they discuss the many unworkable provisions of the law. They conclude the conversation with a discussion of needed legislative fixes before the CCPA goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

Episode 4: Say Cheese: Cameras In The Workplace, On-line Communication, and the Internet Test Bounds of Privacy

This episode of The Workplace explores new areas of concern and issues generated for employers by the prevalence of technology on the job site or in the office. Erika Frank, CalChamber executive vice president, legal affairs and general counsel, and Ellen Savage, HR adviser with CalChamber’s Labor Law Helpline, talk about what is private – and what is not – at work. The conversation provides both entertaining and helpful insight into the issue, particularly given the multitude of federal and state constitutional guarantees, limitations imposed by federal and state statutes, and case law.