By some estimates, California’s economy is now the fourth largest in the world, having recently overtaken Germany, and is surpassed only by the United States, China, and Japan. With favorable weather, a skilled workforce, and a large market (over 40 million residents), California today seems just as enticing as it was to the ‘49ers who came here during the California Gold Rush.
On the flip side, housing costs are pricing out many Californians, homelessness and crime are an issue in the state’s urban cores, public schools are struggling, and the state’s finances are stressed.
Despite these headwinds, however, California continues to present a golden opportunity for businesses savvy enough to separate the paydirt from the slag. Becoming an employer in California means taking on some significant responsibilities. What follows is a summary of the most important of those legal responsibilities as you enter the California market:
California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5)
Employers who think to themselves, “We’ll just make everyone independent contractors and avoid California’s employment laws,” should think again. In recent years, California has passed a series of laws (most notably, AB5) meant to discourage employers from classifying workers as independent contractors.
Simply put, if your worker is performing work that is similar to what your business already does, and if your worker doesn’t have an independently established trade or business, that worker is an employee and not a...
Patricia White, 70, of Old Greenwich, received a nine-month prison sentence for submitting false claims for unclaimed properties to around 30 state treasuries. HARRISBURG, Pa. — Months after her br...