Tag: california hr

Immigrant Workers: Supreme Court Says Employers Can’t Be Ordered To Pay Back Wages To Illegal Workers; Practical Impact

When the National Labor Relations Board determines that a worker’s firing violated federal labor laws, it generally orders the employer to reinstate the worker and pay back wages. But what if the worker wasn’t legally permitted to work in the United States in the first place? The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled that the NLRB […]

Job Bias: Court Considers Marital Status Discrimination Claim; Avoiding Problems

In her first year as an Orange County deputy district attorney, Victoria Chen dated, and later married, Devallis Rutledge, a high-level management attorney in the district attorney’s office. After working there many years, Chen sued the county, arguing that she was discriminated against because of her relationship with Rutledge, who she claimed was not in […]

News Notes: Federal Employees Discouraged From Using Cell Phones While Driving

The U.S. General Services Administration has asked federal agencies to discourage employees from using handheld wireless phones while driving government vehicles. Citing pending legislation around the nation to regulate the use of cell phones while driving, the GSA stated that the government should assume a leadership role in promoting cell phone safety by its employees. […]

News Notes: High Court Makes It Easier To File Discrimination Complaints

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that an employee doesn’t have to include sufficient evidence to prove their bias claims at the time they file their lawsuit, and that such evidence can be developed later on as more facts are discovered. The new ruling involved Akos Swierkiewicz, a 53-year-old of Hungarian descent, who claimed that […]

News Notes: Big Race Bias Settlement For Route Drivers

McKesson Water Products Co., a drinking water processing and delivery company, and Groupe Danone (which recently acquired McKesson) will pay $1.2 million to settle a race bias class action lawsuit brought by the EEOC. The lawsuit charged that African-American drivers were assigned to water delivery routes in low-income communities, which were less profitable than routes […]

Independent Contractors: California Supreme Court Clarifies Whether You Can Be Sued When A Contractor’s Employee Is Injured On The Job; 5-Point Plan To Protect Yourself

For several years, the California Supreme Court has wrestled with the issue of when the employee of an independent contractor can sue the company that hired the contractor for on-the-job injuries rather than just collect workers’ compensation benefits. Now the high court has issued two new opinions further clarifying when you can be sued for […]

Emergency Procedures: EEOC Issues Guidelines On Requesting Medical Information For Use In Planning Evacuations

Because of recent national events, many employers have been developing or revising their emergency procedures to help ensure that employees can be evacuated safely. One issue that arises is that some employees with medical conditions may need special assistance in an emergency. To help you plan more effectively to help these workers, the federal Equal […]

Retaliation Claims: How One Employer Defended An Employee’s Claim That Supervisors Retaliated After She Charged Boss Harassed Her; Documentation Is Key

Sendai Parker, a credit analyst for a Los Angeles  area branch of Home Savings of America, charged that her supervisor sexually harassed her at a co-worker’s birthday lunch. The supervisor was eventually terminated. Then when Parker was fired two years later for alleged performance problems, she charged that her termination was the culmination of a […]

News Notes: Employer’s Refusal To Arbitrate Bars Raising Defense

When Tarlochan Sidhu was laid off by Fletco Co. following a workers’ comp leave, the union grieved his termination and sought arbitration as called for in the union contract. After Fletco refused to arbitrate on the grounds that the contract didn’t apply to the dispute, the union sued to enforce the CBA. Fletco asked the […]