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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

California Supreme Court Delays Decision In Long Awaited Brinker Meal Period Case

As we previously reported here, on July 22, 2008, in Brinker v. Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal held that while an employer is required to "provide" to non-exempt employees at least one unpaid, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes each workday of more than 6 hours, the obligation to "provide" required meal  periods means to make the required meal periods available and not to ensure that employees take all required meal periods.  This was good news for employers and especially good news to numerous employers defending against claims of alleged meal period violations.  
The good news was short lived, however.  Just two months later, on October 22, 2008, the California Supreme Court granted the plaintiff's petition for review of the Court of Appeal's decision in Brinker.  As a consequence, employers defending lawsuits alleging violation of meal period requirements could no longer cite Brinker as authority that an employer is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them, and plaintiffs could once again contend an employer has a duty to ensure all required meal periods are taken and to document that all required meal periods are taken.
After the California Supreme Court granted review of Brinker, the Court of Appeal issued seven additional decisions holding an employer is required to make required meal periods available but is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them.  See Brinkley v. Public Storage, Faulkinbury v. Boyd & Associates, Brookler v. Radio Shack Corp., Hermandez v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Tien v. Tenet Healthcare, Lamps Plus Overtime Cases, and Santos v. Vitas Healthcare.  However, the California Supreme Court promptly granted review of each of those seven decisions, too, and, like Brinker, those seven decisions can no longer be cited as authority that an employer is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them.  
This state of affairs left employers, employees, and courts tasked with resolving disputes over whether an employer has or has not complied with its obligations to "provide" required meal periods in the dark about what the law requires and has complicated the handling of the innumerable class action wage and hour lawsuits brought against California employers. 
On November 8, 2011, over three years after granting review, the California Supreme Court conducted the long awaited oral argument.  
In an unusual turn of events, on December 2, 2011, the court granted the request of the California Employment Law Council to submit an additional post-hearing amicus curiae or "friend of the court" brief addressing the issue of "rolling" meal breaks, which was raised during the November 8, 2011 oral argument.  The issue concerns when during the workday employers must "provide" the first meal period and whether, and if so, when during the workday employers must "provide" a second meal period.  It has been widely believed that an employer is required to "provide" a second meal period only when a non-exempt employee works more than 10 hours in a workday and only after the tenth hour of work.  However, on account of language in the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders stating "[n]o employer shall employ any person for a work period of more than five (5) hours without a meal period of not less than 30 minutes," the court is now considering whether an employee who takes a meal period relatively early in his or her workday is entitled to a second meal period if an employee works 5 hours after taking an "early" meal period, even if the employee's workday does not exceed 10 hours.

On December 14, 2011, the California Supreme Court issued an order permitting the parties to the case to file no later than January 13, 2012, answers to the  additional post-hearing amicus curiae brief submitted by the California Employment Law Council and permitting replies to any such answers to be filed no later than January 13, 2012.  In that same order, the California Supreme Court vacating "submission of the cause" and stating the case will be deemed resubmitted on January 13, 2012.  By that order, the court effectively extended the 90 day deadline for the court to issue its decision in the case from February 6, 2011 (i.e., 90 days after the close of the November 8, 2011 oral argument) to April 11, 2012.  

We are continuing to monitor this important case, and will report on further developments as information becomes available.

Friday, December 23, 2011

National Labor Relations Board Postpones Required Notice Posting Date to April 30, 2012 at Request of Court

By Jonathan Judge and Thomas A. Lenz

As previously reported here, in late August, the National Labor Relations Board confirmed the approval of a final rule which requires all employers under NLRB jurisdiction to post a Notice which will inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Today, the NLRB agreed to postpone the date employers will be required to post this notice from January 31, 2012 to April 30, 2012. The postponement came at the request of a federal court in Washington D.C. that is hearing legal challenges to the rule. The NLRB stated that the postponement should facilitate the resolution of such legal challenges that have been filed with respect to the rule.

The poster, which can be viewed here, notifies employees of their rights under the NLRA, which include:
  • The right to form and join unions;
  • The right to engage in concerted activities concerning employees' wages, hours, and working conditions;
  • The right to make requests for changes in wages, hours, and working conditions,
  • The right to strike and withhold services because of a dispute on wages, hours, and working conditions;
  • The right to make complaints or urge other employees to action on wages, hours, and working conditions (through workplace conversation or social media posts, for example); and
  • The right to refrain from such activities.
The NLRB's announcement buys more time for private sector employers to seek guidance on how this new rule will impact their business and communications with employees.



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

California Supreme Court Accepts Post Hearing Additional Briefing In Pending Brinker Meal Period Case: Will The Court Require "Rolling" Meal Periods?

By Christopher S. Andre and Scott K. Dauscher

As we previously reported here, on July 22, 2008, in Brinker v. Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal held that while an employer is required to "provide" to non-exempt employees at least one unpaid, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes each workday of more than 6 hours, the obligation to "provide" required meal  periods means to make the required meal periods available and not to ensure that employees take all required meal periods.  This was good news for employers and especially good news to numerous employers defending against claims of alleged meal period violations.  
The good news was short lived, however.  Just two months later, on October 22, 2008, the California Supreme Court granted the plaintiff's petition for review of the Court of Appeal's decision in Brinker.  As a consequence, employers defending lawsuits alleging violation of meal period requirements could no longer cite Brinker as authority that an employer is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them, and plaintiffs could once again contend an employer has a duty to ensure all required meal periods are taken and to document that all required meal periods are taken.
After the California Supreme Court granted review of Brinker, the Court of Appeal issued seven additional decisions holding an employer is required to make required meal periods available but is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them.  See Brinkley v. Public Storage, Faulkinbury v. Boyd & Associates, Brookler v. Radio Shack Corp., Hermandez v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Tien v. Tenet Healthcare, Lamps Plus Overtime Cases, and Santos v. Vitas Healthcare.  However, the California Supreme Court promptly granted review of each of those seven decisions, too, and, like Brinker, those seven decisions can no longer be cited as authority that an employer is not required to ensure that employees take all required meal periods made available to them.  
This state of affairs left employers, employees, and courts tasked with resolving disputes over whether an employer has or has not complied with its obligations to "provide" required meal periods in the dark about what the law requires and has complicated the handling of the innumerable class action wage and hour lawsuits brought against California employers. 
On November 8, 2011, over three years after granting review, the California Supreme Court conducted the long awaited oral argument.  
In an unusual turn of events, on December 2, 2011, the court granted the request of the California Employment Law Council to submit an additional post-hearing amicus curiae or "friend of the court" brief addressing the issue of "rolling" meal breaks, which was raised during the November 8, 2011 oral argument.  The issue concerns when during the workday employers must "provide" the first meal period and whether, and if so, when during the workday employers must "provide" a second meal period.  It has been widely believed that an employer is required to "provide" a second meal period only when a non-exempt employee works more than 10 hours in a workday and only after the tenth hour of work.  However, on account of language in the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders stating "[n]o employer shall employ any person for a work period of more than five (5) hours without a meal period of not less than 30 minutes," the court is now considering whether an employee who takes a meal period relatively early in his or her workday is entitled to a second meal period if an employee works 5 hours after taking an "early" meal period, even if the employee's workday does not exceed 10 hours. 
Suffice it to say it would be a stunning development if the court holds employers are required to "provide" such "rolling" meal periods.  Such a holding would potentially expose California employers to truly unanticipated potential liability for penalties for failing to "provide" a second meal period even when an employee does not work more than 10 hours in a workday and would further compromise employers' ability to provide employees flexibility as to when meal periods take place.
We are continuing to monitor this case, and will report on further developments as information becomes available.