Equal rights in parental leave benefits Q: I HAVE been working 4 years for a large company in Los Angeles. My wife just gave birth to our first child. When…

DOUGLASs Troester worked as a shift supervisor of coffee giant, Starbucks Corporation. As shift supervisor, he performed store closing tasks where he transmitted daily sales, profit and loss, and store…

“AVisa workers come to work in the U.S. hoping to better their lives and their families’. They work hard, and are less likely to complain about substandard working conditions. There…

Q: AS a newly hired employee, I have seen discriminatory practices against women and older persons in the company. I reported these to upper management and I was told something…

TECHNOLOGY has dramatically changed the way that people work and earn a living in the 21st century. Instead of the traditional employer-employee model, companies who need services obtain them from…

Q: TWO weeks ago I was fired from work. My employer told me my last paycheck will be mailed to me by next payday. I have not received it yet….

WHEN Otisha Woolbright became pregnant, her doctor instructed her to stop lifting 50-pound trays of chickens at Walmart.  Ms. Woolbright informed her boss about this and her boss said she…

(“Independent contractors” lose employment rights) EDUARDO Garcia worked 15-hour days as a port truck driver for Tradelink Transport. Even after working 15 hours, his boss would wave him back to…

“One contributing factor to the gender wage gap is pay secrecy.” Q: I AM a single mom and I have worked for my employer for several years. While talking with…

PHARMACISTS employed by Albertson’s LLC in California sued their employer for missed meal and rest periods. The employees alleged that the employer did not provide them off-duty meal breaks and…

JOSELUIS Alcantar works for Hobart Service as a service technician travelling to Hobart’s customers to perform after-sale maintenance and repair services on equipment sold by Hobart’s parent company. Service technicians…

ON May 29, 2018, about 175,000 Starbucks workers at about 8,000 locations will undergo a training on race discrimination. The training session will focus on understanding both racial bias and…

TERMINATIONS can be difficult situations, particularly where employees see the firing as unfair. The following are some helpful guidelines in navigating this difficult time: First: Make sure that the employment…

WE recently discussed the problems surrounding employees who are paid only by commission. One of the problems we pointed out was that commissioned employees are often shortchanged when it comes…

WORKERS generally lose when they are classified as independent contractors (ICs) instead of as employees. Companies misclassify real employees as ICs in order to save money. This is good for…

MICHELLE McGrath and Veronica O’Boy worked for Wyndham Resort Development Corporation and its affiliates as Salespersons in California. Wyndham employed them to sell its goods and services such as interests…

THESE days, employers generally know that gender discrimination, i.e., singling out someone for negative treatment just because of their sex, is illegal. Employers may have a handbook saying all the…

Q: I work at a hospital and we heard rumors that our computer servers were hacked. As a result, both patient and employee information were stolen. I am very worried…

Q: AFTER 12 weeks of medical leave for a surgery, I suffered new complications and my doctor told me I needed to take more leave time. I told my employer…

INGRID Avendano, Roxana Lopez, and Ana Medina are female Latina software engineers employed by Uber, a multi-billion dollar company that provides on-demand transportation and food delivery services globally. The engineers…

WHAT happens when your employer faces difficulties paying a significant claim for wages? Information regarding the identity of the various “employers” becomes important when employees have serious claims for unpaid…

In 1995, José Arias, an undocumented immigrant, began work as a milker for Angelo Dairy. Two years later, Arias wanted to accept a job offer with another dairy company. The…

TINDER is a smartphone-based dating app. Subscribers use the app to find people whom they would like to date. Tinder presents users with photos of potential dates. In March 2015,…

A FILIPINA domestic employee won her wage claims against her former employers after a court trial held in Los Angeles Superior Court. Linda Alzate (not her real name), an immigrant…

DEBORAH Pierce, an emergency room doctor, brought a sex discrimination claim against the employer that had fired her. She had evidence that the employer had a pattern of denying women…

JAMES Pearl was hired in 2002 by the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. In 2006, he was promoted as a wastewater collection supervisor. In 2011, he was transferred to an…

Q: I have just entered the work force and I work in the service industry on 12-hour shifts. My supervisor says I am entitled to one 30-minute lunch break and…

Q: I work as a travelling technician or  ompany. Recently, my employer asked me to sign an “independent contractor” agreement and told me that I will now be receiving a 1099 instead…

M.F. worked for Pacific Pearl Hotel Management, LLC as a housekeeper at its five-building hotel property. One morning, the hotel’s engineering manager saw a drunk trespasser with a beer in…

KETRYN Cornell has been diagnosed as severely obese since childhood with a body mass index of over 50. Her weight interferes with daily life functions, including bathing and walking. She…