Every January 1st, another list of laws passed by legislators and voters takes effect in California. The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, with the help of the California Chamber, is providing this list of new laws that will impact California employers.  Significant changes for 2013 include anti-discrimination protections, employee access to personnel records and employer access to personal social media accounts. Also included are recent changes to the pregnancy disability regulations and the disability discrimination and accommodation regulations. Some changes relate specifically to certain industries. Unless specified, the following list of new legislation went into effect January 1, 2013: Social Media and Personal Passwords AB 1844 prohibits employers from requiring or requesting employees or job applicants to provide user names or passwords for personal social media accounts, and from requesting an employee or applicant to divulge personal social media. There are limited exceptions, including an exception relating to…

The lingering recession has fostered a need for alternative and more adventurous shopping, as the average consumer is faced with the task of needing to stretch the almighty dollar.  In the realm of fashion, consignment and resale boutiques have become very popular alternatives in this economy. The idea of ‘gently worn’ clothing and accessories is no longer frowned upon, thus this retail niche is ever gaining momentum.  Personally, I’ve always been a true fan of vintage, resale and even thrift store shopping.  My passion dates back to my teenage years when I was an art school student in New York. Everyday-- back in those days when we had more days--was Halloween.  That was my motto, as I tended to actually dress more so in ‘costume’, rather than in functional or conservative attire.  In art school, however, I was not standing out as much as you might imagine, as my fellow…

There used to be a time where a phonebook was America’s number one source of information. Whether you needed a plumber, an electrician or to find any other business, the hard-copy Yellow Pages were your first stop to find a business. However, now consumers are disregarding phonebooks and relying more on the power of the Internet to find new stores and businesses rather than traditional marketing efforts. This change in focus is requiring businesses to explore and adopt online marketing methods into their business strategies in order to generate success.

Here's and overview of An Overview of New 2013 Laws Affecting California Employers New employment laws could affect your California business' day-to-day operations and company policies in 2013. Download CalChamber's white paper "An Overview of New 2013 Laws Affecting California Employers" for an overview of the changes in the law and how each of these California laws could affect your business. New Laws Overview Several new employment laws will affect California employers’ day-to-day operations and policies in 2013. This white paper identifies some of the noteworthy new laws from the California Legislature. There have been significant changes in key areas, such as anti-discrimination protections, employee access to personnel records and employer access to personal social media accounts. Other laws relate to specific industries, such as farm labor contractors and temporary services employers. Unless specified, all new legislation goes into effect on January 1, 2013. Religion and Reasonable Accommodation AB 1964…