Legal Advice / HR Consulting

Employment Law Advice And Human Resources Consulting For Employers Of All Sizes And Industries

Jane Kow, Principal and Founder of HR Law Consultants, has over 20 years of experience representing employers in all phases of employment litigation and dispute resolution. She continues to provide full representation of employers at administrative agency investigations, audits, conferences, and hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the Employment Development Department (EDD), the California Labor Commissioner/Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) and the federal Department of Labor (DOL).

For the past two decades, HR Law Consultants has helped employers of all sizes and across industries to develop and implement sound personnel policies and practices to reduce the risk of lawsuits by employees. We have advised companies with a team of HR professionals and those with none, helping each client to navigate through challenging and risky employee relations situations.

We have developed all kinds of customized and template forms, policies and procedures for use by Human Resources personnel from the hiring process and throughout the employment relationship until termination.

HR Law Consultants creates and customizes Employee Handbooks for California (and San Francisco) companies based on the size of the workforce (number of employees and locations within CA).

We also provide employers with a library of template personnel forms to help them with the administration of day to day human resources functions and to address situations that might arise throughout the employment relationship, including on boarding of new hires, personnel file checklists, leave request forms, meal period waiver agreements, performance evaluations, management of disciplinary issues, terminations and mass layoffs.

Each of these forms can be provided in Word format for easy editing and customization. Consult us or your own legal counsel to determine whether these materials can be customized for use for your particular workplace. Contact us for a complete price list to purchase any of these forms and others not listed below.

  • Employee Handbook for California and San Francisco based companies custom designed for employers of all sizes, complete with policies that track federal, state and local laws (Click here for a sample Table of Contents)
  • Injury and Illness Prevention Program customized for non-hazard and high hazard companies
    • Hazard Communication Program (required for High Hazard Employers)
  • New Hire Packet
    • Job Application
    • Offer Letter (complies with requirements under CA Labor Code § 2810.5)
    • Itemized Checklist of Company Property Provided to Employee
    • “Designated Person” Form for San Francisco Paid Sick & Kin Care Leave (complies with San Francisco Leave Ordinance – Administrative Code Chapter 12W)
  • Recordkeeping and Timekeeping Practices
    • Alternative workweek arrangements
    • Make-up time requests
    • Timesheets (to track non-exempt employees’ time worked, vacation, sick time, and meal periods consistent with CA and federal law requirements)
    • Employee’s Request to Take Paid Time Off or Vacation Time Off
    • Request for Non-Work Related Injury and Illness, Disability, Kin Care, Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Leave (complies with CA law)
    • Employee’s Request to Make Up Time in Lieu of Overtime Pay (complies with CA Labor Code §513)
    • Employee’s Meal Period Waiver Agreement (complies with CA law)
      • Agreement to Waive Meal Period When Working No More Than Six Hours in a Workday
      • Agreement to Waive a Second Meal Period When Working More Than 10 Hours But No More Than 12 Hours in a Workday
    • Request for a Flexible Work Arrangement (complies with San Francisco’s Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance – SF Administrative Code Chapter 12Z)
  • Miscellaneous Personnel Records Checklists and Forms
    • Posting Requirements Checklist for California and San Francisco based companies
    • HR Document Retention Guidelines
    • Personnel File Checklist
    • New Hire Checklist
    • Request To Inspect Or Copy Own Payroll or Personnel Records (complies with CA Labor Code §§226(b) and 1198.5)
    • Business Expense and Mileage Reimbursement Form (complies with CA Labor Code §2802)
    • Telecommuting Request Form, along with Home Safety Guidelines and Checklist
  • Termination Packet
    • Termination Checklist
    • Notice to Employee As to Change in Relationship (complies with CA Unemployment Insurance Code § 1089)
  • Employment Agreements
    • Non-Disclosure of Confidential, Proprietary and Trade Secret Information Agreement
    • Confidential Separation Agreement and General Release for Employees Under Age 40
    • Confidential Separation Agreement and General Release for Employees Over Age 40
  • Managing Workplace Disability Accommodations and Medical Leaves (all forms updated to comply with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA))
    • Request for Reasonable Accommodations Form
    • California Pregnancy Disability Leave Request Form and Certification Of Health Care Provider For Pregnancy Disability Leave, Transfer and/or Reasonable Accommodations
    • Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Packet of Leave of Absence Forms
      • FMLA/CFRA Designation Notice
      • FMLA/CFRA Notice of Eligibility and Rights & Responsibilities
      • CFRA Certification of Health Care Provider
      • FMLA/CFRA Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition
      • FMLA/CFRA Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition
      • FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Current Servicemember for Military Family Leave
      • FMLA Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave
      • FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave
  • Performance Management and Disciplinary Memos
    • Customized Job Descriptions (for employees in various positions and classifications)*referral to job description specialist will be provided
    • Customized Performance Evaluations (for employees in various positions, classifications and function areas)
    • Performance Improvement Plan
    • Counseling Memo
    • Warning Memo
    • Termination Memo
  • Reductions in Force Due to Mass Layoff or Plant Closures
    • Template Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act (WARN) Notices for mass layoffs and plant shutdowns
      • WARN Act Notice to Employees To Be Terminated
      • WARN Act Notice to Union for bargaining unit employees
      • WARN Act Notice to Applicable Government Units
  • Independent Contractor Packet
    • Independent Contractor Checklist (to ensure compliance with federal and CA standards on distinctions between employees and independent contractors)
    • Independent Contractor Agreement
  • Executive employment contracts, severance and separation agreements tailored for clients’ specific situation and needs

Practice Areas