California Labor Law News
California Woman Launches Harassment Lawsuit against Dolby
Los Angeles, CA: A former employee of Dolby Laboratories Inc. in California has filed a harassment lawsuit against her former employer and various individuals alleging harassment, and an unfair and fractious work environment. Plaintiff Sushama Gokhale alleges violations against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and various laws maintained by the state of California.
Know Your Rights under the California Family Rights Act
Berkley, CA: Tom Spiggle is an attorney and author of You’re Pregnant? You’re Fired: Protecting Mothers, Fathers, and Other Caregivers in the Workplace. In a blog originally appearing last year and updated last month in Huff Post (06/15/17), Spiggle notes that various protections at both the federal and state level that help insulate workers from discrimination (such as the federal Family Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act) are valuable tools for the protection of worker rights. At the same time, however such a patchwork of protections crossing various jurisdictions can inject a high level of complexity into the mix.
Long-Running California ERISA Lawsuit Settles
Los Angeles, CA: An ERISA lawsuit based in California that had been waged for 10 years quietly settled back in March following the third day of a bench trial (In Re Northrop Grumman Corp. ERISA Litigation, Case No. 2:06-cv-06213, in US District Court for the Central District of California). Weekend negotiations prior to the resumption of the trial succeeded in bringing both sides together, with a confidential settlement reached in the decade-long case.
Trucking Firms Found to be In Violation of California Compliance
Los Angeles, CA: A settlement reached between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various trucking companies which operate in the Los Angeles Basin will result in the payment of just over $201,000 in penalties for failure to comply with California state regulations governing the need to protect air quality in an area of the state that already has some of the worst air quality in the country. While it is not known if the settlement stemmed from a compliance lawsuit per se, the fact remains a handful of companies were found to have dropped the ball when it comes to air quality and compliance with state laws.
Former Venture Capital Employee Asserts Discrimination, Harassment
San Mateo, CA: A discrimination lawsuit launched June 28 in California state court alleges discrimination and harassment suffered while employed at a Golden State venture capital firm. The plaintiff, identified as Ann Lai, claims in her lawsuit that Binary Capital Management LLC (Binary Capital, Binary) was found to be an inappropriate workplace for women. Lai also cited confidentiality provisions she alleged to be stifling.
Eight-Year Wage and Hour Litigation Likely Looking at $21 Million Settlement
Los Angeles, CA: A California wage and hour class action that has been on the books since 2009 is finally nearing its conclusion, following release of details involving a mediated settlement worth $21 million. The plaintiffs, employees of US Security Associates Inc. (USSA), last week urged a federal court in the Golden State to grant preliminary approval to the deal.
Restauranteur Convicted of Paying Undocumented Worker Pauper’s Wages
Ukiah, CA: Examples of how the undocumented worker, so valued to the California economy and protected with a basket of rights housed within California law, continues to be abused abound. Regardless of whether, or not an immigrant possesses legal documentation does not preclude an undocumented worker the basic right of fairness.
US Supreme Court Rules for Church-Affiliated Hospitals in ERISA Dispute
Washington, DC: It’s an ERISA win for church-affiliated hospitals and health care facilities attempting to escape from the rigors and fiduciary requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, following a ruling earlier this month by the US Supreme Court that affirms the extension of the ERISA religious exemption.
An Informed Employer Can Often Avoid an FMLA Lawsuit
Sacramento, CA: Employers based in California and who employ 50 or more workers face an extended basket of regulations through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which augments the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Thus, anyone filing an FMLA lawsuit in the state of California benefits from extended protections through the CFRA. And yet, notes the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber), there are, in some cases overlapping and conflicting tenets resulting from the conjoined Acts.
California Plaintiffs Alleging Wrongful Termination Not Isolated Incidents
Los Angeles, CA: Two wrongful termination lawsuits recently filed in New Jersey have a kinship with earlier legal troubles faced by banking giant Wells Fargo in California over accusations the financial juggernaut forced its bank employees to create in excess of two million bogus credit card and deposit accounts in the names of existing clients without authorization.
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