Legal News Articles

California Employee Discrimination Suit Nets $4.75 Million Award

Sacramento, CA: A California employee discrimination lawsuit has resulted in a multimillion-dollar award for the plaintiff, who alleged her job termination was the result of age and gender discrimination. The plaintiff, Barbara Anderton, filed the lawsuit against Bass Underwriters in 2013 and according to the Sacramento Bee (10/15/15), recently received a $4.75 million award.

October 27, 2015

HARASSMENT

Another Tale of Two California Harassment Lawsuits

San Francisco, CA: A California harassment lawsuit has been filed against a janitorial contractor based in Gilroy over allegations of sexual harassment against a female employee by a supervisor. The lawsuit contends that M.A Jones Inc., which also does business as Cleaning Services, did nothing about the harassment allegations, then fired the plaintiff when she reported the behavior. Meanwhile, a separate harassment lawsuit ended in July with a multimillion-dollar verdict in favor of the plaintiff.

October 22, 2015

UNDOCUMENTED WORKER

Undocumented Workers Integral to California Economy

Camarillo, CA: A decision in a wage and hour lawsuit in New York not only carries positive implications for any undocumented worker in the state of California who may feel wronged by an employer, it also lends itself to the depth and breadth of the undocumented workforce in the Golden state.

October 19, 2015

COMPLIANCE

$4.9 Million Settlement Approved for California Prevailing Wage Compliance Lawsuit

San Francisco, CA While various guidelines in the California labor code cover a wide swath of regulations governing wage and labor issues in the state, the California Prevailing Wage Law provides more specific guidelines and requirements for construction, installation and other projects that fall within the purview of public works.

October 2, 2015

WAGE & HOUR

Uber Appeals Class-Action Ruling

San Francisco, CA Following a federal judge’s ruling certifying the Uber lawsuit as a class action, Uber has filed an appeal of the judge’s ruling. On September 1, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ruled that a California lawsuit challenging Uber’s business model could move forward as a class action. The lawsuit alleges that drivers for the ride-sharing company are employees and not contractors, and therefore should receive the same protections and benefits that employees are entitled to.

October 1, 2015

CALIFORNIA LABOR LAW

Parking Valets Allege Misclassification As Independent Contractors

San Francisco, CA Employees of Luxe Valet Inc. allege there is nothing deluxe about their jobs with the valet company, alleging in a pending California labor lawsuit that their employer has illegally misclassified them as independent contractors. In so doing, Luxe is attempting to avoid payment of payroll taxes, overtime pay and the necessary meal breaks and rest periods as required under California labor law.

September 28, 2015

OSHA

Former Coach Sues UCSB, Cites Unsafe Work Environment

Santa Barbara, CA A safe work environment, or lack thereof, is a relative term. And sometimes an unsafe work environment has little to do with equipment or machinery and everything to do with workplace dynamics. Such is the case over a California OSHA Labor Lawsuit filed earlier this month by the former coach for the women’s water polo team at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB).

September 25, 2015

ERISA

California ERISA Lawsuit Results in Settlement Exceeding a Half-Million

Los Angeles, CA Not many notice. Even fewer would take the time or have the tenacity to take action. However, three whistleblowers in California did just that when they detected irregularities in ERISA retirement and benefit plans they were hired to help manage and filed a California ERISA lawsuit. For their efforts, the trio is to receive compensation representing lost wages and damages from no fewer than 12 trustees affiliated with five union trust funds and their Los Angeles-based service provider.

September 19, 2015

CALIFORNIA LABOR LAW

ULTA Stores Hit with Overtime Pay Class-Action Lawsuit in California

Los Angeles, CA A class-action lawsuit alleging affronts to California labor law has been filed against ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA). The complaint holds that store and salon managers classified as exempt from overtime according to the California labor code are in fact improperly classified given that the majority of tasks performed by the plaintiffs are non-managerial in nature.

September 14, 2015

WRONGFUL TERMINATION

California Looks to Abolish Forced Arbitration

Los Angeles, CA A common tactic of employers and organizations looking to avoid lawsuits is to require mandatory arbitration to enforce a contract. The California Senate, however, is looking to abolish mandatory arbitration as it relates to California labor law, preventing employers from forcing employees into arbitration.

September 10, 2015