Labor and Employment in California: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations, and Practices

Bernadette M. O'Brien is a partner at Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP, a leading workers' compensation defense firm, and managing attorney of the law firm's employment law department. Ms. O'Brien is also a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She provides advice and counsel to employers, human resource administrators, risk managers and claims adjusters on numerous workplace topics including policy development and implementation; employee discipline/workplace investigations; the prevention of workplace claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and/or wrongful termination; wage and hour compliance; the crossover issues related to workers' compensation and the Fair Employment and Housing Act/Americans with Disabilities Act; leave of absence policies; pregnancy; privacy rights; social media policies; unemployment insurance claims; and, employee handbook development. Ms. O'Brien also conducts management/human resource training and compliance sessions throughout California, both private-on-site, and open for the public. Prior to Ms. O'Brien's association with Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP she practiced civil litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants in numerous areas of law including personal injury, business and employment. Ms. O'Brien is author of the popular LexisNexis publication Labor and Employment in California: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations and Practices, which has been in publication since 1992. The treatise is an easy-to-understand overview of key topics in labor and employment as governed by both federal and California law.

Ms. O'Brien is also co-author of California Unemployment Insurance and Disability Compensation Programs, which is a helpful treatise on California unemployment insurance and disability laws. Ms. O'Brien is a frequent contributor to, and reporter for, the LexisNexis employment law newsletter Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin and she is editor and developer of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly's employment related websites www.employmentlawweekly.com, and www.fskhrtraining.com, which cover the latest court cases and legislation related to employment law. She has been a speaker on a variety of employment law topics for numerous organizations including CalPelra, CWC, PIHRA, Ag-Safe, EAC, Northern California Workers' Comp Forum, Intercare, National Interstate Insurance, CASBO, Strafford Webinars and the Employer's Fraud Task Force. You can reach Bernadette M. O'Brien at bernadette.obrien@fsklaw.com, (818) 206-9222, or (916) 838-3332.

Susan A. Rodriguez, owner of the Law Offices of Susan A. Rodriguez, APC, has nearly 30 years of experience as an employer defense attorney in California. Experienced in all aspects of federal and California employment law, Susan specializes in Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), wage and hour, and class action claims. The depth and breadth of Ms. Rodriguez’s experience, coupled with her attentive and accessible nature, make her a perfect choice for businesses in need of immediate or ongoing employer defense services.