Episode 42 - Employment Law Updates for 2024 Part 2
Release Date: 12/28/2023
Episode 45 - We Love AI - How AI Makes Us Better
Sound Business Insights
Dan Watkins brings more than 40 years of perspective to the topic of Artificial Intelligence or AI. This isn't something to be feared - it's something to be embraced. It makes us better at our jobs, saves our clients time and money. Saves our attorneys time, allowing us to spend more time with our clients and getting to know the nuances, the facts, the details surrounding the events in question, or their business goals, challenges and opportunities. We think AI is great. AI is like these other programs, and if your lawyer's up to speed, which they should be on emails,...
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Episode 44 - Neighbor Disputes
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 44 - Neighbor Disputes Dan Watkins discusses the nuances of helping neighbors to resolve their challenges while protecting their rights to the "quiet enjoyment of their property" as well as their property boundaries. The discussion starts with boundary disputes and why it is important to seek the advice of one of our experienced San Diego real estate attorneys if you are facing a boundary dispute with a neighbor. This can involve everything from a fence dispute to a building, storage unit or fence being built across your property line. ...
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Episode 43 - Real Estate Disputes
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 43 - Real Estate Disputes Dan Watkins shares common issues and challenges associated with real estate disputes and how the Watkins Firm is able to help to resolve these challenges. This substantive conversation covers a wide range of topics including hidden defects, failure to disclose, mold issues, cracked slabs, failure to perform and other real estate related disputes, as well as the remedies available in specific situations. In Sound Business Insights Episode 43 Dan Watkins shares that real estate, under California law, is unique, the same way a...
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Episode 42 - Employment Law Updates for 2024 Part 2
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 42 - Employer Updates for 2024 Part 2 Dan Watkins continues to explain changes in California employment laws that will affect employers in the coming year. Part 2 of the conversation picks up where part 1 left off. If you have not listend to part 1 you may wish to go back and review it after you complete this podcast. SB 553 implements additional workplace violence protections for those who work in-office (versus those who work remotely). Small employers with less than 10 employees that are not open to the public are excluded. There...
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Episode 41 - Employment Law Updates for 2024 (Part 1)
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 41 - Employment Law Updates for 2024 (Part 1) our founder, Dan Watkins, discusses all of the important changes a San Diego or California employer must know going into 2024 and beyond. The only constant in the life of a California employer is change. How can you keep up with all the changes in California law as it relates to an employer? How do you protect yourself from the increasing risks of disputes, lawsuits and class actions facing those who provide employment throughout California? Sound Business Insights Episode 41 - Employment Law...
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Episode 40 - Stock Purchase Agreements
Sound Business Insights
In Episode 40 - Stock Purchase Agreements Dan Watkins discusses one of the most complex legal and financial transactions a business can undertake: a stock purchase. What makes the stock purchase such a risk and how can the 40+ years of experience at the Watkins Firm in literally thousands of these transactions increase the likelihood of success in your acquisition or sale? The Harvard Business Review recently cited multiple long-term collegiate studies which concluded the probability of success in a business merger or stock purchase acquisition was 30% or less. In those...
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Episode 39: What Keeps Employers Up at Night?
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 39: What Keeps Employers Up at Night, Dan Watkins discusses many of the challenges a California employer faces and what our firm can do to help not only manage what is happening in real time, but to establish the right policies, processes, employee handbook and other aspects of daily documentation and work to prevent issues, disputes and lawsuits from ever arising, while making it much easier to keep small isues from expanding into large exposures. Episode 39: What Keeps Employers Up at Night discusses the extensive challenges California employers face and...
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Episode 38 - What is a General Counsel
Sound Business Insights
In Episode 38 - What is a General Counsel Dan Watkins helps to explain why every business should have access to an experienced business attorney - a general counsel. If you're a company owner and you are trying to do everything right in the best way you can for your company, you're going to have general counsel, and that attorney or couple of attorneys or law firm will advise you on things that have to do with your business, your field specifically, and in general, You'll also have a banking relationship because opportunities come along and if you wait to go get your banking...
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Episode 37 - Healthcare Governance and Compliance
Sound Business Insights
In Sound Business Insights Episode 37 - Healthcare Governance and Compliance Dan Watkins provides insight into the complicated world of corporate governance and compliance in the setting of a medical practice or healthcare-related business. There are so many Federal and State agencies and entities that regulate, oversee or control a medical practice or healthcare business. What are the issues any healthcare-related company will face when working on corporate governance and compliance in California? Episode 37 - Healthcare Governance and Compliance provides an over of many of the...
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Episode 36 - Best of Sound Business Insights Volume 1
Sound Business Insights
In Episode 36 – Best of Sound Business Insights Volume 1 we revisit some of the most important, insightful and entertaining moments of the podcast so far. The episode begins with a few clips about why it is so important to have an experienced, proven business attorney. This includes Dan’s genuine insight that any business should have 3 crucial advisors: an experienced business attorney, a CPA/Tax expert and a banker or source of funding. These are the 3 advisors you can turn to and reply upon for a quick phone call to answer a question as well as insights into the...
info_outlineIn Sound Business Insights Episode 42 - Employer Updates for 2024 Part 2 Dan Watkins continues to explain changes in California employment laws that will affect employers in the coming year. Part 2 of the conversation picks up where part 1 left off. If you have not listend to part 1 you may wish to go back and review it after you complete this podcast. SB 553 implements additional workplace violence protections for those who work in-office (versus those who work remotely). Small employers with less than 10 employees that are not open to the public are excluded. There are initial steps to be taken this year in preparation for an expected roll out in 2025. 2025 will also see the expansion of TRO coverage to include harassment by another employee, client, vendor, etc.
Sound Business Insights Episode 42 - Employer Updates for 2024 Part 2 goes on to cover several new laws which will impact most employers. Off duty cannabis use is now permitted in the State of California. Protections are prvided for off-duty hours and drug tests can no longer include nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites. New tests should screen for active THC (the employee is high at the moment of the test) and that is what will be required to take action. You cannot ask applicants if they use marijuana.
Criminal background check policies have undergone substantial change as well. If you are going to perform a background check on a potential employee the timing of that check will have to wait until the decision to hire has been made. Sound Business Insights Episode 42 - Employer Updates for 2024 part 2 continues with changes relating to healthcare workers and a new minimum wage for those workers. These changes cover not only professionals but most employees in facilities with more than 25 physicians, even those in non-medical roles.
It is important for all California employers to stay up-to-date with changes in the law and required updates to public notices, as well as the policies and procedures and employee handbook. This lively discussion serves to inform employers of changes coming in the new year and how to prepare while avoiding risk, litigation, disputes and other adverse outcomes.