Summary: Courts must consider allegations of a racially hostile workplace “from the perspective of a reasonable person belonging to the racial or ethnic group of the plaintiff.” Under this framework, “a single racial epithet...more
8/20/2024
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California ,
FEHA ,
Harassment ,
Hostile Environment ,
Internal Investigations ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Race Discrimination ,
Retaliation ,
Reversal ,
Slurs
Summary -
Emergency Rule 9, which tolled statutes of limitations for six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is valid and operates to extend the time to file a civil suit for a PAGA claim as well as the time period to...more
9/22/2023
/ Appeals ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California ,
FEHA ,
Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Remand ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
A plaintiff maintains standing to pursue a non-individual PAGA claim in state court when his individual PAGA claim is sent to arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement...more
In response to a certified question posed by the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit, the California Supreme Court on Jan. 27, 2022, resolved a years-long split among California courts by confirming that an...more
Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, No. S259172, 2021 WL 2965438 (Cal. Jul. 15, 2021)
Summary: The term “regular rate of compensation” under California Labor Code section 226.7 is synonymous with the term “regular rate...more
8/11/2021
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Regulations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rate of Pay ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
Today, the California Supreme Court held that employers cannot use the practice of rounding time punches in the meal period context, and that unrounded time records that show noncompliant meal periods raise a rebuttable...more
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, 140 S. Ct. 2049 (2020) -
Summary: The ministerial exception, grounded in First Amendment’s religion clauses, barred teachers’ employment discrimination claims where teachers...more
8/11/2020
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Article III ,
CA Supreme Court ,
CAFA ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Contract Terms ,
Discovery ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
First Amendment ,
FRCP 23 ,
Ministerial Exception ,
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v Morrissey-Berru ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Religious Workers ,
Right to a Jury ,
SCOTUS ,
Standing ,
State Arbitration Acts ,
Waiver of Rights
Scalia v. Employer Solutions Staffing Group, LLC, 951 F.3d 1097 (9th Cir. 2020) -
Summary: Neither the Fair Labor Standards Act nor federal common law provide an employer with a right to seek contribution or...more
4/17/2020
/ Appeals ,
Background Checks ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Contributions ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Common Law ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Indemnification ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Law Violations ,
New Hires ,
Over-Time ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Reversal ,
Standing
On February 13, 2020, in a unanimous opinion, the California Supreme Court held in Frlekin v. Apple Inc., Case No. S243805, that time spent on an employer's premises waiting for, and undergoing, required exit searches of...more
This month’s key employment law cases address the test for independent contractor status, the legality of an incentive compensation system, and personal liability for wage and hour violations....more
12/3/2018
/ ABC Test ,
Alter Ego ,
Appeals ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Class Action ,
Corporate Officers ,
Drivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Personal Liability ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Reversal ,
Summary Judgment ,
Taxi Cabs ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Orders
May's key California employment law cases involve “on call” meal and rest periods, and employees working seven days a week. ...more
7/10/2017
/ Appeals ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Day of Rest Laws ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Off-Duty Employee Access ,
On-Call Employees ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules