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Q:        I hear a lot of talk about “diversity” and “pay equity” in the workplace. I live in California and, yes, I work with a “diverse” group of people in terms of race, age, gender, etc. But it is obvious to me that there is no “pay equity” in this diversity. How, as an employee, can I even b...

Carlos Castellon worked as a driver for Penn-Ridge Transportation, Inc., a company that delivers the goods of major retailers (such as Best Buy) to the homes of consumers. The delivery drivers and their helpers delivered and installed appliances at the consumers' homes. The workers were categoriz...

Q:        I have worked for this company for over 10 years and I have a good record. My employer recently hired another employee who is making me uncomfortable. When I am on a lunch break, they would come up to me while I am eating and show me sexually inappropriate photos from their phone or tel...

Wallen Lawson worked as a territory manager for two years for PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. (PPG), a paint manufacturer. Wallen sold and stocked PPG paint products in Lowe's home improvement stores in Southern California. PPG used two metrics to evaluate Wallen's performance: his ability to me...

Arbitration is a procedure to resolve disputes without filing a complaint in court. By signing an employment arbitration agreement, the employee agrees to adjudicate any claim against the employer before an arbitrator and not before a judge or a jury. This means the employee cannot sue that emplo...

Q:        I was fired from work last week and another co-worker also quit at around the same time. Our employer told us both to sign an “exit form” and a “release.” We were told that we would not get our final paycheck if we do not sign these documents. Is this legal? A:        If an employee w...

Q:        I have just entered the workforce and I work in the service industry on 12-hour shifts. My supervisor says I am entitled to one 30-minute lunch break and two rest breaks of 10 minutes each. A co-worker said it should actually be two lunch breaks and three rest breaks because we work 12 ...

Q:      I worked in a company for over 10 years. A new supervisor and I do not get along. Last week, the company let me go without any explanation. I don't have any disciplinary record. Can the company just fire me without a good reason? A:        Yes, an employer may fire an employee without a ...

            Q:        I was severely injured in a recent car accident while returning to work on an errand. I had to undergo multiple surgeries. I missed several weeks of work and will need more time off for treatments. I am afraid to tell my employer about my need for more time off because I mig...

About two months before the start of the 2019 World Cup in France where it was scheduled to defend its title as World Cup Champions, the US Women Soccer Team sued its employer, the United States Soccer Federation, Inc.  (“Federation”), for equal pay. Back in 2019, at the time the lawsuit was file...

In 2010, Facebook instituted an update to its site called "Open Graph,” which introduced Facebook users to a "Like" button that they could click to show to their networks their interests and activities anywhere on the internet. When users updated to Open Graph, this allowed Facebook to gather dat...

Q:        I recently resigned from work because I was tired of being shorted on overtime pay, not being given breaks half the time, being made to work before and after my shift with no pay, and not being reimbursed for using my personal vehicle and cellphone for work. Unfortunately, before being ...

Riot Games, Inc. is a multi-billion dollar video game developer, with headquarters in Los Angeles, operating in 24 offices around the world and employing about 2,500 workers, 80% of them male. Riot Games' employees, Melanie McCracken and Jessica Negron, sued their employer in a class action, all...

Sevag Chalian worked as a pharmacist for CVS Pharmacy Inc. Chalian and other pharmacists are required by CVS to complete “mandatory training modules.” The employees were instructed to complete their training modules at home and CVS provided them remote access. The California Board of Pharmacy did...

Minimum Wage Increases Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the California state minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the minimum wage will increase to $14 per hour. Some local cities and counties may have higher minimum...

Janelle Perez was hired as a police officer in the Roseville Police Department. A few months into her probationary term, Janelle and a fellow officer, Shad Begley, began a romantic relationship. Both Janelle and Shad were separated from their respective spouses but remained married. Shad's wife,...

Mykyn Woods worked as a Senior Community Manager for Greystar Management Services, a property management company with offices all over the United States. Less than a year after she started working for Greystar, Woods was injured in a vehicle accident. She sustained herniated discs, and ruptures o...

Alexia Herrera worked as a Sales Associate at Zumiez, Inc., a retail store in Chico, California. Zumiez scheduled Herrera and other employees for work according to two scheduling policies. First, Zumiez scheduled employees for "Show-Up" shifts, requiring the employees to physically report for sch...

Shujun Qiu was hired by Three Rivers Provider Network Inc. as its controller. Throughout her employment, Qui excelled at her job and her employer had no complaints about her performance. She was eventually promoted to corporate treasurer.                           On the fifth month of her emplo...

Gerald Bostock worked as a child welfare advocate for Clayton County, Georgia. As an official of the juvenile court and under his leadership, the county won national awards for its work. After a decade with the county, Mr. Bostock began participating in a gay recreational softball league. Soon af...

Elizabeth Carter worked at Dunn-Edwards, the paint store, when her medical condition prevented her from lifting more than 20 pounds. She could, however, still continue to perform most of her essential duties. Her employer thus provided modified work duty by allowing her to ask co-workers for help...

Q:      My work required me to interact with a lot of people. I became infected with COVID-19. I was hospitalized and went on disability leave. After 8 weeks of quarantine and after being relieved of symptoms, my doctor ordered another test, which came back negative. I was then cleared to go back...

Julie Gunther started working as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines in 2015. In 2017, she sued her employer in a class action, claiming that Alaska Airlines did not provide her with accurate itemized paystubs. This led her to question whether she was in fact paid properly for all the hours sh...

Alejandro Gonzalez worked as a loader coordinator for Swissport, a company which provides airport ground and cargo handling services. Gonzalez worked at Swissport's LAX location for more than 10 years where he was promoted from bag handler to load coordinator due to his stellar performance.      ...

Stanley Vincent worked as a Patrol Officer for the California Highway Patrol for seven years. The Daily Journal reports that Vincent was fired from his job when he took three weeks of leave so he could look for his missing mentally disabled sister. Vincent sued, alleging that the employer's failu...