CHAMBER CALENDAR

February 12

Executive Committee 

Meeting at 12pm

Chamber Boardroom

February 12

Ambassador Committee Meeting at 4pm

Chamber Boardroom

February 19

Government Committee Meeting at 3:30pm

Chamber Boardroom

February 20

Marketing Committee 

Meeting at 11am

Chamber Boardroom

February 21

Board Meeting at 8am

Chamber Boardroom

After Hours Mixer at 5pm

Colony 29 / CVB

147 S Tahquitz Drive 

 Lead$ Lunches

Nicolino's Restaurant

440 S El Cielo Road 

Palm Springs Chamber 

Executive Board

Andrew Starke, President

Palm Springs Power Baseball Club

Tim Ellis, Past President

Palm Mountain Resort and Spa

Ulrich McNulty, President Elect

Schlecht, Shevlin & Shoenberger

John Dahlin, Treasurer

Maryanov, Madsen, Gordon & Campbell

James Canfield, Vice President

Palm Springs Convention Center

David Gandolfo, Vice President

Palm Springs Airport Self Storage

Jerry Noonan, Vice President

Fisherman's Market & Grill

Ken Wheat, Vice President

Desert Regional Medical Center

Palm Springs Chamber 

Board of Directors

Ryan Brown, Classic Party Rentals

Mary Jardin, The Palm Springs Follies

Mike Keane, Groove Marketing

Martin Massiello, Eisenhower Medical Center

Joel Ontiveros, Airport Quick Car Wash

Aftab Dada, Hilton Palm Springs

Jeff Grubbe, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Keith McCormick, Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions

Tammy Perezchica, Canyon Commercial Services, Inc.

David Portener, TravelHost Magazine 

ColorGlo of Palm Springs ~

Dennis Guenther

Leisure Wheels Quadracycles, LLC 

~

Paul Harris

Mary Kay Cosmetics ~ Eileen Fricke

Mission Springs Water District ~ 

John Soulliere

66575 2nd Street, 

Desert Hot Springs CA 92240 

(760)329-6448 

Nicolino's Italian Restaurant ~ 

Linda or Elaine

440 S. El Cielo Road, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)322-5579

www.nicolinospalmsprings.com 

 

PIA Realty Group ~ 

Lisa Molinar

27 La Plaza, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)325-2223

www.PIARealtygroup.com 

 

Safelite Auto Glass ~ Laura Dugger

1243 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs CA 92262 

(760)327-9024 www.safelite.com

ScreenMobile of Palm Springs ~ Mark Russo

19278 Cottonwood Road, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241 

(760)322-0500 www.screenmobile.com 

 

THE Accounting Office ~ 

Michael Patterson

400 S. El Cielo Road, 

Palm Springs CA 92262 

(760)325-2353 

www.theaccountingofficeps.com

TNT General Contracting ~ 

Ted Parker

68-733 Perez Drive, Cathedral City CA 92234 (760)534-9541

Tomalak Tile and Stone ~ Eric Tomalak

77530 Enfield Lane, Bldg. B, Palm Desert CA 92211 

 

          We have many nationalities of employees at work. While we try to ensure that employees respect diversity, recently a new employee complained that she thought she was being talked about and/or excluded from conversations because employees were speaking in a language that she did not understand. To eliminate this problem, can we require that all employees speak English?

Answer:

          In California, there is a law that prevents most employers from requiring only English be spoken at work unless it is a business necessity. Government Code Section 12951 applies to employers with five or more employees with the exception of a non-profit religious association or corporation not organized for profit.

          An English-only rule is permitted only when it is absolutely necessary for the safe and efficient operation of the business and there is no other alternative, such as where dangerous equipment is being used and clear communication about that equipment is essential to employee safety.  Continue Reading Here. 

Question:

            Is an employee, placed temporarily with an employer by a placement agency, subject to the provisions of an alternative workweek in place at the job where the employee is placed? Who is responsible for resolving a labor dispute with a temporary employee - the placement agency or the employer where the worker was placed? 

Answer:

The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has consistently taken the position that temporary workers may be hired into an alternative workweek setting with no overtime obligation after eight hours in a day so long as they are employed for the entire regularly scheduled alternative workweek.

Temporary workers employed for less than the entire workweek must be paid the applicable overtime after eight hours in any one day.

Placement Scenarios:

Temporary employees may be placed in a location in one of two ways:

      * If the placement agency places employees with an employer for a normal flat fee or commission, the workers actually are employed by the employer where the workers are placed.

       * If the placement agency is paid on an hourly or other basis for the placement, there is a joint employment relationship between the two entities. The Placement Agency in this case is simply renting its employees out on much the same basis as a company might rent its equipment.

Labor Disputes:

When the employment agency simply places workers for a flat fee or commission, the Labor Commissioner would look to the employer where the worker is placed to resolve any labor dispute.

In a joint employment scenario, however, the obligation for ensuring that any overtime is paid rests with both entities. In this instance, the Labor Commissioner may look to either the placement agency or the employer where the worker was placed to resolve a dispute.

Discrimination Possibility

          The situation you describe is generally not one of business necessity to require English only. It may be that the employees are more comfortable speaking in their native language, a language other than English. There may also be a more subtle form of discrimination on the basis of race or nationality, which may be the reason the employee feels excluded from conversations.

          All employers are required to have a policy against harassment/discrimination which informs employees that they have the right to be free of harassment/discrimination at work. That policy should be clearly communicated to employees and enforced to ensure that all employees feel like they are not being discriminated against or harassed because of their nationality or race.

          Often when employees do not understand what is being said, they assume that other employees are talking badly about them and do not want them to know what is being said. They also may feel like they are being treated differently because they are excluded.

Investigate Complaint

          In this situation, the employer needs to investigate the complaint to determine if harassment or discrimination has occurred and then take corrective action. In an investigation, the employer should talk to all parties involved and any witnesses. Although it may not have been the intent of the employees to harass or discriminate against the new employee, it is important to let those employees know that the new employee feels excluded.

          Often, employees are not aware that other employees may feel that they are being left out. If the conversation was personal and had nothing to do with the new employee, the employees should be told that breaks and meal periods, NOT work time, should be used for personal talk.

Diversity Training

          If an employer finds that there has been discrimination, the employer must take measures to ensure that the discriminatory conduct stops. Employees must be told that they may not exclude other employees or treat them with disrespect. Providing diversity training for employees will heighten the awareness of all employees to these issues.

          Employers should also ensure that all new employees are introduced to other employees and made to feel welcome. Developing a buddy system or mentor for a new employee will help him/her not to feel isolated, provide someone to talk to and help with the adjustment to a new work environment.

          Although each situation may vary, it is important that employees are not only aware of the communications that are occurring at work, but are mindful of potential discrimination issues.

 

Three grants of around $1,000 each in the School-Site Category were given to Desert Hot Springs High School for a calculated success project designed to assist students receiving Special Education; to Palm Springs High School in connection with assisting Special Education students in developing a documentary on The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles; and to Vista Del Monte Elementary School for a "Clicker Crazy" project that will enhance students use of CPS responders in the classroom.

In the Teacher/Classroom Mini-Grant Category, ten grants of approximately $500 each were awarded for projects ranging from digital camera integration with studio art to a symphony band artist in-residence program at Cathedral City High School; from an after school competitive math game to technology for special education students at Palm Springs High School. Rio Vista Elementary School was granted two Nook tablets in order to instill a passion for reading in the first grade.

In addition to these current grants, The Pinnacle Fund has raised and distributed over $200,000 for our local schools focusing on Putting Arts and Technology Back in the Classroom.

To learn more about The Pinnacle Fund, call 760.416.8455 or visit www.PinnacleFund.org.