Female entrepreneurship has steadily increased over the years. The National Association of Women Business Owners reports that there are more than 11.6 million businesses owned by women, generating $1.7 trillion in sales. However, even with increased representation among small business owners, female entrepreneurs make up only a small percentage of overall business owners. Even more worrisome is that 90 percent of all women-owned businesses are sole proprietors, meaning that only 10 percent hire employees. This means that most female-owned businesses do not have the growth needed to sustain or acquire additional employees. When asked what is needed for additional growth, studies have shown that 48 percent of women cite a lack of needed mentorship and a third of women cite lack of capital as a constraint. 

Today we celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. In an effort to continue to provide help to historically underserved populations, there are several certifications for Women- and Minority-owned businesses. Need help with the process? Reach out! The Pasha Law team has resources to guide you.

Having been ousted last year for engaging in a consensual relationship with a subordinate (a company policy violation), McDonald's former CEO Steve Easterbrook is now being sued by the company for the $40 million exit package he received. New evidence has emerged of additional relationships, which Easterbrook had obscured from previous investigations.

In a $1.4 billion lawsuit, a whistleblower accuses Cigna of falsely classifying diagnoses of its Medicare Advantage program members in order to receive billions of dollars in overpayments from CMS. Cigna's response is that they will defend themselves against all "unjustified allegations."

Our crisis is not interminable—it will dissolve soon into mere history. Though, for a considerable amount of companies, this punishing moment will result in a sizable reduction or even in an  unfortunate conclusion of their work. Now that we find ourselves, in all likelihood, midway along the journey of our thoroughly disrupted life with this novel virus, some firms have awoken in a dark and unfamiliar wood, confronting economic wraiths that no armor has been able to ward off.  

If passed, Assembly Bill 685 will require employers to provide notification in writing, as well as "make every reasonable effort necessary to notify workers verbally." Failure to do so within 24 hours would result in fines up to $10,000.

National Leathercraft Day may seem like an unusual day for a law firm to celebrate, but at Pasha, we happen to have a skilled crafstman in our midst. Logan, our Communications Director, has been working with leather for years, and has even made his own face mask!

Do you have hobbies? Have you started teaching yourself a new craft during the pandemic?

AB5 took effect in early 2020, targeting the 'gig economy' and changing the requirements for contract labor in an effort to protect labor rights. In July, the California Labor Commissioner's office sued Mobile Wash, Inc., an on-demand car wash service that utilizes the gig economy. While Proposition 22 is already on the ballot for the fall to change the law, California seems set on enforcing the law and businesses using contract labor need to adjust or prepare to battle lawsuits.

It's Congressional Startup Day - the day when entrepreneurs meet with their Senators and House Reps to discuss the breadth and depth of innovation and new business in their districts. Congrats to all the startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs!

President Trump signed an Executive Order supplementing unemployment benefits by $400, down from the $600 supplement from the CARES Act. Anecdotally, business owners complained that the average $930 of unemployment benefits disincentivized work, although a Yale study found otherwise (though, it did not include part-time workers). What are your thoughts? Did you have a difficult time hiring or finding qualified employees with supplemental unemployment in place? Let us know in the comments.

As employees return to work and attempt to manage the minefield that is COVID-19, employers and employees are being asked to work together now more than ever. A single employee testing positive for COVID at an office, restaurant, bar, gym, or any other business can have an outsized effect on the company. That one employee could infect other employees or patrons, and news of a positive test can effectively shut down businesses that provide services directly to the public, causing significant disruption of the business as cleaning crews may be brought in while the entire staff now seeks to procure COVID-19 tests. These types of situations have left employers with the inclination to control as much about their employees as possible to minimize the risk. This article will explore the fine line between what employers can and cannot ask of their employees when it comes to COVID-19 precautions within the office.

What is "commitment"? How does the Pasha Law team embrace commitment as a value when serving our clients? Follow along with us throughout the month to find out!