New California labor laws employers should know
During his first year in office, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an abundance of bills into law, many of which go into effect on January 1, 2020. Every employer in California needs to be aware of these new laws and how they could affect operations. Below are some of the most significant new labor laws: […]
Employment Attorney Describes Wrongful Termination
California law protects employees against wrongful termination in the workplace. Though it is an “at-will” state, meaning that an employer can terminate a worker’s employment for any or no reason, there are exceptions to the rule. It is illegal for an employer to fire an employee due to protected statuses such as race, national origin, […]
A look at new California employment laws in 2018
2018 brings new laws to California. Here is a look at some new employment laws that might affect you: SALARY INFORMATION (Assembly Bill No. 168): Under new California law, employers are prohibited from asking job applicants for salary information as a factor used to determine whether or not to hire them. Employers are also prohibited […]
Glendale construction firm faces $6.3 million lawsuit for misclassification and wage theft
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office sued a construction company for worker misclassification and wage theft violations. The office is seeking damages of more than $6.3 million. Glendale-based Calcrete Construction, Inc. allegedly misclassified 175 workers as independent contractors. The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, affects 249 construction workers. The Labor Commissioner’s Office […]
University of California IT workers file age, national origin discrimination lawsuit
After over 50 university employees were replaced by an offshore outsourcing firm, the former IT workers announced that they intend to file a discrimination lawsuit to challenge their termination. The former tech workers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) campus claim they were victims of age and national origin discrimination. In February 2017, […]
Barclays CEO under investigation for attempting to uncover identity of internal whistleblower
After Barclays CEO Jes Staley was caught in his attempt to uncover the identity of an anonymous internal whistleblower, the bank has formally reprimanded Staley and cut his yearly bonus. The case is being investigated by Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority, who are also looking into Barclays’ systems and culture relating to whistleblowing. […]
Unwanted hugging may be sexual harassment
According to the U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals, excessive hugging may be determined to be sexual harassment. In February 2017, a three-judge panel overturned a 2014 case against Yolo County Sheriff Edward G. Prieto, who allegedly hugged a female officer over 100 times between 1998 and 2012. The lawsuit was filed by Victoria Zetwick, […]
Employer may be liable for “associational” disability
In Castro-Ramirez v. Dependable Highway Express, Inc., the California Court of Appeals upheld a finding that it is illegal to terminate someone based on associational discrimination, such as when the individual must care for an immediate family member with a disability. Luis Castro-Ramirez had allegedly arranged a work schedule with his supervisors for several years […]