Michael Trust Law, APC

06/04/2026

Sexual harassment under FEHA takes two forms, and they are not the same.

Quid pro quo harassment happens when a job benefit, a raise, a promotion, or continued employment, is tied to a sexual demand or response. A single incident can be enough.

Hostile work environment harassment is a pattern. It requires conduct severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of your work, tied to a protected characteristic, viewed both subjectively and objectively.

People sometimes use these terms interchangeably. The difference matters because the proof, the timeline, and the remedies are different.

If something has happened at work that feels coercive or pervasive, knowing which framework fits is part of knowing what to do next.

Send us a message at michaeltrustlaw.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.

Michael Trust Law, APC | Hermosa Beach, CA | Serving clients throughout California | michaeltrustlaw.com | Attorney Advertising.

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.

06/04/2026

You Signed an Arbitration Agreement on Day One. The Supreme Court Just Said It May Not Cover You.

The Supreme Court's May 2026 decision in Flowers Foods v. Brock held that workers do not need to cross state lines to fall outside FAA-governed arbitration. Workers in delivery, warehousing, or last-mile distribution who handle goods that are part of an interstate chain may be exempt from FAA coverage, meaning the arbitration agreement their employer relies on may not apply.
In California, that population is large. Whether a specific agreement is affected depends on the role and the agreement language.

If the pattern sounds familiar, contact Michael Trust Law for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine whether you have a claim — and how much of a conversation that takes.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.
Michael Trust Law, APC, 703 Pier Avenue, Ste. B367, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254: michaeltrustlaw.com

06/03/2026

It is June. A good moment for California employers to look at three risks that quietly compound over the year.

First, wage statement compliance. Labor Code section 226 lists nine required items. Missing or inaccurate items create per-pay-period penalties that scale fast.

Second, employee classification. The ABC test under AB 5/AB 2257 applies to most workers; 100+ occupations are exempt and use the Borello test instead. Mixed classifications across the workforce are a common audit finding.

Third, handbook alignment. California employment law changes constantly. A handbook accurate in January 2024 may misstate the law as it stands today, particularly around leave, accommodation, and pay transparency.

A mid-year review is dramatically cheaper than a defense.

Send us a message at michaeltrustlaw.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.

Michael Trust Law, APC | Hermosa Beach, CA | Serving clients throughout California | michaeltrustlaw.com | Attorney Advertising.

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.

06/03/2026

Cal-WARN and AI Layoffs: The Threshold You Think Protects You May Not

California employers relying on federal WARN Act thresholds to assess AI layoff obligations may be running the wrong analysis.
Cal-WARN (Labor Code sections 1400 and following) applies to employers with 75 or more employees and has a 50-employee mass-layoff trigger, significantly lower than federal WARN.
Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-6-26 (May 21, 2026) starts a 180-day clock on Cal-WARN revisions specifically targeting AI-driven workforce reductions. No immediate obligations yet, but California consistently moves first on emerging workplace standards.
The right analysis is a Cal-WARN analysis, not a federal WARN analysis. Those produce different answers.

If you want to know where your business stands, contact Michael Trust Law for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine what needs to be addressed — and how much of a conversation that takes.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.
Michael Trust Law, APC, 703 Pier Avenue, Ste. B367, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254: michaeltrustlaw.com

06/02/2026

A leave from work is not always just a leave. In California, the same time off can fall under multiple statutes at once. CFRA covers serious health conditions. FMLA may run in parallel. Pregnancy Disability Leave applies to pregnancy-related conditions. And FEHA reasonable accommodation can require additional leave beyond CFRA, when leave itself is the accommodation that lets you return to work.

Why this matters: missing one framework while relying on another can shorten the protection you actually had. A denial that looks correct under one statute may still violate another.

If you have been told leave is exhausted or that you are out of options, ask whether the analysis covered every framework that applied to your situation, not just the most obvious one.

Send us a message at michaeltrustlaw.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.

Michael Trust Law, APC | Hermosa Beach, CA | Serving clients throughout California | michaeltrustlaw.com | Attorney Advertising.

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.

06/02/2026

You Tested Positive. You Were Never Impaired at Work. California Law May Have Something to Say About That.

California's AB 2188 (effective January 1, 2024) prohibits most employers from terminating or disciplining employees based on off-duty cannabis use or a drug test that detects non-psychoactive metabolites, which can stay in your system for weeks after use with no connection to impairment at work.
The exceptions are specific: construction trades, federal security clearance positions, roles with actual federal or state testing mandates, and federal contractors with contractual testing requirements. Calling a position "safety-sensitive" is not an exemption on its own.
If you were terminated after a cannabis test and you were not impaired at work, whether the law covers you depends on the specific facts. California has deadlines on these claims.

If the pattern sounds familiar, contact Michael Trust Law for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine whether you have a claim — and how much of a conversation that takes.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.
Michael Trust Law, APC, 703 Pier Avenue, Ste. B367, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254: michaeltrustlaw.com

06/01/2026

In California, your right to a meal break is not satisfied by eating at your desk while you keep working. The law requires you be relieved of all duty, free to leave, and uninterrupted for at least 30 minutes when your shift exceeds five hours.

Rest breaks follow a parallel rule: 10 paid minutes, duty-free, for every four hours worked.

If you regularly miss breaks, take them late, or get pulled back during them, that is a violation. The employer owes one additional hour of pay at your regular rate for each missed meal period and another for each missed rest period.

These premiums add up quickly, and they are recoverable for years back under California's wage and hour rules.

Send us a message at michaeltrustlaw.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.

Michael Trust Law, APC | Hermosa Beach, CA | Serving clients throughout California | michaeltrustlaw.com | Attorney Advertising.

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.

06/01/2026

"We Didn't Authorize It, So We Don't Have to Pay for It" — California Disagrees

California employers cannot avoid wage liability by pointing to a no-unauthorized-overtime policy. The test under California law is whether the employer knew or should have known the work was happening, not whether it was approved in advance.
Automatic meal-period deductions, inadequate correction processes, and remote workers whose after-hours activity is visible in system logs are the most common ways off-the-clock liability accumulates without anyone noticing.
The exposure calculates per employee per pay period, reaching back three years under California's wage statute of limitations.

If you want to know where your business stands, contact Michael Trust Law for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine what needs to be addressed — and how much of a conversation that takes.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.
Michael Trust Law, APC, 703 Pier Avenue, Ste. B367, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254:

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.

06/01/2026

"Our Bonus Is Discretionary" — California Overtime Doesn't Care What You Call It

California employers who call bonuses "discretionary" are often not as protected as they think.
Overtime in California is calculated on the "regular rate of pay," which includes most bonuses tied to attendance, hours, or performance metrics regardless of what the policy calls them. A California appellate court recently revived a class action on this exact issue.
A uniform compensation policy that produces an overtime error does not generate one claim. It generates a class-wide claim across every affected employee and every affected pay period.
The right time to audit a bonus program is now, not after a demand letter arrives.

If you want to know where your business stands, contact Michael Trust Law for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine what needs to be addressed — and how much of a conversation that takes.

This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts. No lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.
Michael Trust Law, APC, 703 Pier Avenue, Ste. B367, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254: michaeltrustlaw.com

05/31/2026

Clients who work with Michael Trust Law, APC consistently describe the experience as thorough, clear, and proactive, with communication at every step. One recent client resolved a workplace dispute they had been wrestling with for months after a focused, efficient resolution process. If a workplace issue has been weighing on you, the first step is a conversation. Results may vary. Send us a message at michaeltrustlaw.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation. | Michael Trust Law, APC | Hermosa Beach, CA | Serving clients throughout California | michaeltrustlaw.com | Attorney Advertising. Results may vary.

Dedication to employers doing right by their employees, and to zealously advocating for employees fighting for their rights.