Our Blog

“Misconduct” is NOT Automatic Cause for Denying Unemployment Benefits

On 5 September 2025

A Blog by HRWatchdog – CalChamber We terminated an employee, and she has filed a claim for unemployment benefits. We want to fight her claim because she was fired for falsifying accounting records, a violation of...

Referral Partner Highlight – Azi Amirteymoori, Esq. – Principal with 403 OPS Consulting, LLC

On 4 September 2025

It is my pleasure to highlight this month Ms. Azi Amirteymoor, Esq, a trusted partner. Graduating from Western Michigan University, Cooley Law School, with a Juris Doctor, Azi was initiated to the HR field in both the...

Our 2025 Napa/Sonoma Hospitality Industry Benefits & Compensation Survey has Concluded

On 25 August 2025

We have just concluded the 2025 Annual Benefits & Compensation hospitality industry survey for Napa & Sonoma. This year, a total of 15 hotels participated in the survey, representing 2,899 employees and 2,248...

Daily Overtime Premium Pay Depends on Workday Definition

On 21 August 2025

A Blog By HRWatchdog Last week, my company (which operates 24 hours a day) had several employees call out sick at the last minute. As a result, we had to require one of our employees to work two consecutive back-to-back...

Teambuilding Exercise – Back-to-Back Drawing

On 11 August 2025

This teambuilding exercise promotes clarity, communication and listening skills How it works: Pair up; one person describes a simple shape or image (e.g., a house, tree) without saying what it is. The other person...

Referral Partner Highlight – Teresa Fleming – The HR Maven Collective, LLC

On 7 August 2025

Founder of HR Maven Collective, Teresa is a dynamic HR leader with over 8 years of experience guiding nonprofits, creative organizations, and tech companies through the ever-evolving world of people operations. From...

Victims’ Leave – 2025 Updates Created New Obligations & Expanded Others

On 6 August 2025

A Blog by CalChamber How did victims’ leave change for 2025? Although victim’s leave is not new for California employers, AB 2499 did revise leave requirements effective January 1, 2025, including by broadening...

Santa Barbara Mid-Year Wage Survey

On 4 August 2025

Upon high demand, a mid-year “wage only” survey was conducted for the Santa Barbara area. The following 9 hotels participated in this survey: Californian Hotel El Encanto Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort Hotel...

How to Respond to Federal Request for Documents Related to Form I-9

On 31 July 2025

A Blog by Cal Chamber http://Matthew J. Roberts, Associate General Counsel, Labor and Employment We received a Notice of Inspection from the federal government requesting documents related to our Form I-9s and other...

Tech CEO Caught with Company’s Head of HR on Coldplay Kiss Cam Resigns

On 22 July 2025

A video of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot being caught on camera during a Coldplay concert’s “kiss cam” segment has gone viral, leading to Byron’s resignation and both being...