Police use of excessive force results in wrongful death recovery
ON April 27, 2014, in Compton, CA, L.A. County sheriff’s deputies were called to a Target store, where a theft was allegedly occurring. Police arrived at the scene and confronted…
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Protecting employees injured at work from wrongful termination
ADAM Prue worked for the Brady Company, a construction company in San Diego, CA. Prue was injured at work and suffered a hernia in June 2011. Because of this, Prue…
Honoring the courage of a Fil-Am hero who fought for just wages
“ Larry Itliong, his struggles, and his legacy continue to be relevant to the workers of today, particularly immigrant workers who face similar challenges in the workplace. For example, present-day…
Should I tell my employer about my medical condition to accommodate my disability?
Q: I WAS diagnosed with herniated disc and severe anxiety. I want to request leave but want to keep my privacy at work. Do I need to tell my employer…
Strength in numbers: court sides with employees, strikes class action waivers
THERE are valid overtime or meal break claims that may be too small to require a lawsuit. The litigation may cost too much and the payoff for one employee may…
Police use of excessive force results in wrongful death verdict
ON Christmas night in 2013, 19-year-old Asa James Dolak was having a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his two-year-old son. The dispute ended with…
Good news for domestic workers (especially caregivers and nannies)
Q: THANK you for keeping us updated on the latest employment laws. I work as a caregiver/housekeeper for a senior couple in Los Angeles. Back in 2014, they started paying…
Workers petitioned by US employers: Are your rights to wages protected?
Q: I AM a Filipino worker petitioned by my U.S. employer to work as part of its IT staff in California. My employer pays me only half the agreed rate…
Should you sign that severance agreement from your employer?
A SEPARATION package or a severance agreement is a contract between an employer and an employee who is about to leave the employer’s employment. In a typical severance agreement, the…
What are the rights of a true salaried employee?
Q: I AM a salaried employee exempt from overtime. I often work more than 40 hours per week. However, there are days when I work less than 8 hours per…
The rights of temporary workers
Q: I WORK for a temp agency with headquarters outside California. As a condition of work, I agree to report to a location anywhere in Southern California assigned by the…
Should employees who ‘volunteer’ to work off-the-clock be paid?
Q: I WORK as a nurse at a hospital that has a strict policy of no unapproved overtime, and no going on breaks unless we are relieved by another nurse….
Are companies liable when their ‘independent contractors’ injure consumers?
(Why misclassification of workers is a social justice issue) ON September 10, 2013, 53-year-old Faustino Solorio was a pedestrian standing on the shoulder of the road behind the tailgate of a…
Fighting for pay equality at work
” California law prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work,…
Can we videotape police activity in public?
“The new California law clearly states that a person who takes a photograph or makes an audio or video recording of a police officer (or any public officer), while the…
Finding sources of compensation for the seriously injured
FIVE year-old Jane Fine* was walking along the sidewalk on Green Street with her parents, trying to peer into the shops which displayed brightly colored toys. The Fine family was…
Home health aides and other household employees are entitled to overtime
Q: I AM a registered nurse in the Philippines but I have not yet obtained a license in California. However, I am working as a ‘private nurse’ to a bed-ridden…
Remedies for employees who blow the whistle on employers
Ninoos Benjamin worked as a Director of Economic Division of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Development Department (CDD). According to several news outlets, Benjamin sued the city claiming retaliation…
Misclassification of workers is a form of wage theft
THIS column has often stressed the general rule that most employees should be paid overtime rate if they work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week….
My employer keeps my personal information – should I be concerned about my privacy?
Q: MY workplace installed a new time recording system where employees are required to provide our photos and fingerprints to be able to clock in and out for work. I…
Being singled out – is it discrimination or retaliation?
Why non-discriminatory conduct can still be illegal retaliation FOR about 19 years, Maria Montoya worked as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. In November 2011, while on…
New law aims to increase minimum wage to $15 by 2022
ON January 1, 2016, the minimum wage in California became $10.00 per hour. Most employees in California are entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage. On April 4,…
Equal pay for equal work: The fight continues
Q: I HAVE been working at this company for 4 years and in my industry for 15 years. I just found out that a newly-hired male co-worker who is doing…
Should employees give up their right to be heard in court?
Q: I RECENTLY heard from a friend who sued her employer for unpaid wages. However, the court threw out her case and she had to go to “arbitration.” She said…
‘Salaried’ employees may still have a right to overtime pay (California overtime law is still superior to new federal overtime law)
Q: MY job title is “manager.” I work at least 10 hours per day, 6 to 7 days per week. While I supervise a few employees, I mostly do the…
Work-related activities before you clock-in: Should these be paid?
Q: I WORK as a “team member” in the service industry in Los Angeles. Before we clock-in for our shift, we are required to attend a “huddle,” or a meeting…
Sexually harassed employee forced to quit, wins wrongful termination case
MS. Olivares worked as a dental assistant for Colton Dental Group (CDG) which is owned by dentist, Sam Dason. In May 2011, Dason told Olivares that employees from his San…
Protecting employees against workplace violence
YOWAN Yang worked for ActioNet as an information technology technician. ActioNet is a contractor providing technical support to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Cy Tymony was another technician who worked…
Pay discrimination affect women of all wage levels
ACCORDING to the National Equal Pay Task Force, for every $1 that men earn, women earn only $0.79. This is true for nearly all industries and for most women in…
Giving reasonable accommodation at work to a non-disabled employee
Luis Castro-Ramirez was hired to work as a truck driver by Dependable Highway Express (DHE) in 2010. During his hiring, he told DHE that he had a disabled son who…