Check out the press release from the Department of Industrial Relations:
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San Jose—The Labor Commissioner’s Office has obtained a $1 million settlement from the owners of San Jose restaurant chain Burrito Factory to recover unpaid wages for 239 workers. The settlement is secured by the owner’s property assets.
“This case is the latest in a string of investigations by the Labor Commissioner’s Office that has resulted in putting earned wages into workers’ pockets,” said California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su. “The message is clear: compliance with labor standards in California is not optional. When workers who are not paid come forward and demand their just day’s pay, the State is on their side.”
The owners operated the chain of Mexican restaurants at four locations in San Jose. In October 2017, the Labor Commissioner’s Office opened its investigation following a Private Attorneys General Act complaint. Investigators found that the employers did not pay workers properly for overtime or split shifts, which resulted in workers receiving less than the minimum wage for their work. The Burrito Factory also failed to provide workers a meal break as required by law, often paid workers in cash and did not keep accurate payroll records.

The Labor Commissioner’s Office entered into mediation talks with the restaurant chain in February after citations were issued for the labor law violations and the employer demonstrated its willingness to comply with state labor laws. The parties reached a settlement agreement to pay the workers $1 million with an additional $100,000 in civil penalties, payable beginning this July.

Enforcement investigations typically include a payroll audit of the previous three years to determine minimum wage, overtime and other labor law violations, and calculate payments owed and penalties due. Civil penalties collected are transferred to the State’s General Fund as required by law.

The Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, or theCalifornia Labor Commissioner’s Office, combats wage theft and conducts on-site inspections to investigate and enforce compliance with minimum wage and other California labor laws. Its wide-ranging responsibilities include public works enforcement, retaliation complaint investigations, licensing and registration, as well as multilingual labor law education and outreach for workers and employers.

In 2014, the Labor Commissioner’s Office under Julie A. Su’s leadership launched the Wage Theft is a Crime multilingual public awareness campaign. The campaign defines wage theft and informs workers of their rights and the resources available to them to recover unpaid wages or report other labor law violations.
 

A local restaurant in Chula Vista has learned a very valuable and humbling lesson: DO NOT RIP OFF YOUR EMPLOYEES.

The total is now $274,000 for under reporting, under paying, and workers' comp violations - here's the whole story.

http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20170817/NEWS08/912315257/California-restaurant-La-Querencia-Chula-Vista-cited-for-wage-theft-workers-comp

​If you are in business here in San Diego - please let us audit your HR & Payroll for you - who knows, we just might save you $274,000!

​“Honest business owners in California should not have to compete with businesses that skirt the law and deprive their workers of their hard-earned pay,”  Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su

One of the best tax credits for businesses in California has been gaining momentum since  2014, creating over 70,000 jobs and awarding over $490 million in credit!

In order to promote businesses to participate, the state has several free meetings throughout all major cities and towns - see this article by CalChamber, FIND the closest meeting to you, and GO!

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE


El Centro, CA
July 19, 2017
Details and Registration

Temecula, CA
July 19, 2017
Details and Registration

San Diego, CA
July 20, 2017
Details and Registration
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Chula Vista, CA
July 20, 2017
Details and Registration

"If you’ve ever tempted to monkey around with your company’s payroll records, please…don’t. It’s really not worth it. The story of Hyok “Steven” Kwon and Woo “Stephanie” Kwon in the San Diego Union-Tribune is a very good example why."

This couple effectively performed a 'shell game' with hundreds of people who they 'hired' to work in some of San Diego's most prestigious hotel properties..

This Washington Post article is the perfect 'DO NOT DO IT' read for all small business owners - it's time for you to read it too.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2017/04/11/two-small-business-owners-hide-800-employees-and-now-could-owe-millions/?utm_term=.602f6058e590
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IRS will use private debt collectors, but warns of potential scams
by Jeanne Sahadi   @CNNMoneyApril 4, 2017: 5:19 PM ET
Debt collectors are coming ... for your years-overdue unpaid federal taxes.The IRS said Tuesday it would start sending letters out this month to taxpayers whose longtime unpaid tax debts are being farmed out to authorized private debt collection firms.
The private debt collection program was created by a federal law enacted by Congress in December 2015.

Here's the rest of the article

Finding it hard to believe?  Read it from the IRS yourself:

Just think of it, you're at your local mall, trying to side-step the kiosks of sunglasses and lotions and time share sales folks, but another kind of pop-up business may just be the key to your budding business' future.

"An experiment in Center City, Philadelphia offers mentoring to budding entrepreneurs", is the sub title to this Inc.com article for an intriguing way to connect entrepreneurs to growth and successful business development.

Founder Jen Groover want you to know, "pop-ups are meant--in an hour or two--to lay a foundation for nascent companies to grow. They are set up like trade shows. Only instead of wandering aimlessly, attendees are escorted from station to station and introduced to service providers--a bookkeeping business, a legal adviser, a media trainer, a website developer, and many more--who for a few minutes answer questions and offer advice." 

JumpStart StartUp is working on pop ups in these cities:
Philadelphia
New York
Baltimore
Boston

Would you like to see San Diego on this list?

The situation has been a thorn in this royal's crown since 2010, when tax fraud charges against her, her husband and over a dozen others have been argued in European courts.

"Spain's Princess Cristina, the 51-year-old sister of King Felipe and sixth in line to the throne, has been cleared in a tax fraud trial."

Although she is cleared, her husband will spend the next 6 years, 3 months in jail - not a good end to their fairy tale, the law is the law....

Thank you BBC, and for you curious minds, here's the link to the article:
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Thanks to Inc.com for an other quick list (with great content in between)with awesome and plain ol' common sense that can apply to all of your relationships.

In short:

1. Don't take others for granted
2. Look for the good
3. Don't just feel it, say it

So, if you need inspiration for that heartfelt Valentine's Day card - this is a great start :)
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Not everyone goes into business to hold on to the business for eternity, they actually grow the biz to sell the biz. So, for those who build-and-sell, is the business ready to sell? 

Forbes puts it all out there in this article from February 5, 2017, and we invite you to especially take note of the highlights on page 2 - San Diego made the polls!  There are 8 statistics to think about - which one rings true for you?