Bills Governor Brown Signed September 2012

Department of Fair Employment and Housing: Reorganization and Revision (SB 1038) SB 1038 reduces the cost to the State by reorganizing and reducing the size of the Department Fair Employment and Housing. Specifically, effective in January, the Fair Employment and Housing Commission is abolished and a Fair Employment and Housing Council within the Department of…

Read More

Disability Discrimination Case Against Rite-Aid

A Los Angeles jury has returned a verdict of $3.5 million against drug store chain Rite Aid Corporation in a recent disability discrimination case. According to the complaint filed, Martha Palma had worked for Rite Aid for years and had been a store manager at one of its stores in Los Angeles. She was fired…

Read More

Class Action Arbitration of California Wage and Hour Claims

Judicial interpretation of the enforceability of arbitration clauses in the context of class action claims for wage and hour violations, such as the failure to pay overtime, missed meal and rest breaks and misclassification as an independent contractor or exempt, continues to evolve. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in AT&T Mobility…

Read More

Your Rights Under FMLA

Basic Leave Entitlement FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons: • For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth; • To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care; • To care…

Read More

Employee Rights – Paid Family Leave

Taking leave or time off work to care for a sick or injured family member or to bond with a new baby is something we have probably faced ourselves or know someone who has. State and federal laws exist that protect employees from being fired for taking leave.  In the past, the leave was always…

Read More

California Supreme Court Rules on Employer Meal and Rest Break Obligations

Court Decides Employers Must Relieve Employees of All Duty During Meal Periods But Need Not Ensure They Perform No Work The California Supreme Court concluded today that an employer’s obligation is to relieve its employees of all duty during meal periods, leaving the employees thereafter at liberty to use the period for whatever purpose they…

Read More

Employee Meal and Rest Break Class Action Against Brinker International

(From Reuters) Part of a class-action lawsuit against Brinker International Inc can proceed, the California Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, in a closely watched case about employee meal and rest breaks at the company’s restaurants. The California high court authorized a class of workers in the state to proceed with claims that they were denied…

Read More

Update: Arroyo Grande Police Department

By Cynthia Lambert | clambert@thetribunenews.com Lawsuits follow Arroyo Grande police chief Two Police Departments under Steve Annibali’s leadership have been accused of unequal treatment By December, Senior Officer Michelle Cota had amassed a long list of complaints against the Arroyo Grande Police Department and her boss, Chief Steve Annibali. Cota contended that overtime shifts and…

Read More

California Employment Laws Updated for 2012

Pregnancy Disability Leave Employers with five or more employees are required to continue to maintain and pay for health coverage under a group health plan for an eligible female employee who takes Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) up to a maximum of four months in a 12-month period. The benefits are at the same level and…

Read More