HERE is an interesting statistic from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI): In the year 2012, “the US Department of Labor recovered $280 million in back pay for 308,000 workers. That…

CA Supreme Court issues an answer EARLY this year, we related the plight of an undocumented worker who was terminated by his employer because of his disability, and whose fate…

And what they can do to fight back RONALD Shephard installed garage doors for Lowe’s, a home improvement retailer that operates nearly 100 stores in California. Lowe’s offers its customers…

DAVID Bryant worked for 22 years for San Diego Gas and Electric as a bill collection clerk and then as a senior collector. For several years, he has reportedly complained…

IN February 2010, Cable’s Restaurant in Woodland Hills, CA was acquired by GACN, Inc. During the acquisition, the employer promised that veteran servers Martha Aboulafia (57 years-old), Cheryl Colgin (57),…

How social media postings can harm an employment case THE internet has become a powerful instrument for socializing and reaching people. Networking sites are now virtual coffee shops for meeting…

ACCORDING to recent reports, Sarah Chookey worked as a commissioned sales employee in the automotive department of Sears in its branch in Thousand Oaks, CA. Apart from commissions, Ms. Chookey…

Q: WHILE applying for work at a company, I was asked to sign an “Arbitration Agreement.” I was told it’s part of the application. What exactly is an arbitration agreement?…

Q: I WORK for a company that pays us on a piece-rate basis for every task that we finish. A task may take several hours to complete. If we do…

Q: I WORK at a retail company and every employee is required to “pitch in” when it becomes busy. Stocking shelves, cleaning, and putting away merchandise are not part of…

THE Los Angeles Times reports that in 2010, eleven officers of the Los Angeles Police Department’s traffic department assigned to the motorcycle unit, sued the city of Los Angeles, claiming…

(Additional wages due even if clock says otherwise) Q: I AM a full-time hourly technician who work in the field. While we were told  that we have a 30-minute unpaid lunch…

(Are you paid for all hours worked?) THE cheer squad for the Oakland Raiders, the Raiderettes, recently sued their employer for back wages and reimbursements. The lawsuit claims that the…

IN 2003, Vicente Salas started work for Sierra Chemical in its production line filling containers with chemicals used for water treatment. The company hires seasonal workers because demand for its…

Internal complaints of illegal acts are protected CATHERINE Zulfer was employed by Playboy Enterprises, Inc. for about thirty years in various accounting positions. During the last eighteen months of her…

(Unfair does not mean Unlawful) Q: I WORKED in a company for more than 10 years. A new supervisor was recently transferred to my department. This person and I do…

Waiting at work for security checks may be compensable JESSE Busk and Laurie Castro are former employees of Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., a company which provides warehouse space and staffing to…

IN 2002, Bobby Nickel was hired by Corporate Express as a facilities manager. In 2008, Corporate Express was acquired by Staples. In 2011, at the age of 64, Mr. Nickel…

ON April 27, 2007, Jessica Manosa hosted a party at a vacant residence owned by her parents. Manosa and most of the attendees of the party were under 21 years…

Q: I AM an hourly employee at a skilled nursing facility working 12-hour shifts, three days a week. I usually work more than 12 hours per shift finishing up paperwork…

JORGE Vasquez worked as a maintenance technician for Franklin Management Real Estate Fund, Inc. He was paid $10 per hour for 40 hours per week. Jorge’s supervisors regularly instructed him…

“INVOLUNTARY job loss is a stressful event, creating a variety of problems immediately, and long periods of unemployment can compound those problems,” states The Urban Institute, in a report it…

Courts look at several factors to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. The most important factor is the employer’s right to control the worker’s manner…

KYLE Hunter is a weather forecaster and broadcaster for over 23 years, who won several prestigious awards. He sued CBS Broadcasting, Inc. for discrimination, alleging that two of CBS’ television…

MAX Taylor started work for Nabors Drilling as a “floorhand” on an oil rig in June 2010. Joe Mason and Jaime Mendez were Taylor’s supervisors. Several times a day, Mason…

LAST week, we wrote about the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) which entitles qualified employees 12 weeks of leave from work when they have to care for their seriously ill…

Q: I HAVE been working for 5 years in Los Angeles for a company that has about 100 employees. I wanted to take a leave of absence from work to…

EMPLOYEES who want to be more vigilant of their rights in the workplace this year may want to pay attention to the following laws and developments: Overtime  Work of more…

Q: AS an employee for a service provider company, I am paid an hourly rate and an additional piece rate if I respond to customer calls after hours. I often…

ALFREDO Villacorta, a Filipino mechanical engineer, worked as a maintenance planner at Cemex Cement, Inc., a large cement production company with a plant in Victorville. Villacorta transferred to Victorville from…