As the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak continues, many employers are continuing to consider about what steps they might need or want to take to manage the impact in their workplace, including increasing telework arrangements. Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), an employee qualifies for paid sick time if the employee is unable to work [...]

With no end date to California’s Stay at Home Order and countless businesses shut down indefinitely, many Los Angeles businesses are facing contractual obligations that simply cannot be executed. Products cannot be delivered and services cannot be performed across several industries. From travel, to supply chain issues, to bars and restaurants, gyms and salons, there [...]

Defamation is defined as purposeful and false damage to one’s reputation. What many do not know is that defamation can occur in the workplace and in this era of the coronavirus pandemic, it is becoming increasingly common. As we touched on in a previous post, common law defamation or invasion of privacy claims can come [...]

Fear around COVID-19 abounds and as a result, some employers are not following the law when it comes to privacy and employee rights. All California employees have the right to privacy in varying degrees. Employee privacy rights set boundaries to how extensively an employer can search an employee’s possessions or person; monitor their actions, speech, [...]

If you are like many California employees, you likely have some concerns over coronavirus and your workplace. Is it safe enough? Are you unknowingly being exposed? What’s more, if your company’s workplace policies and practices don’t make you feel safe while on the job, you may be wondering what you can do and what legal [...]

In California and across the country, thousands of workers are losing their jobs. Some temporarily, some permanently, and many unlawfully. If you believe you have been illegally terminated from your job as a result of the coronavirus, legal recourse may be available to you. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed by President [...]

In Jimenez v. U.S. Continental Marketing, Inc., plaintiff Elvia Jimenez was hired through a temp agency to work for a manufacturing company, U.S. Continental Marketing Inc. (USCM). Jimenez was ultimately fired by USCM, and she filed a wrongful termination case against USCM. At trial, the jury found in favor of the defendant soley because the jury believed that [...]

In a recent case, Townley v. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., the California Court of Appeal held that the employer did not have to reimburse its employees for requiring them to buy and wear slip-resistant shoes.  To avoid slip-and-fall accidents, BJ’s adopted a safety policy that required employees to wear black, slip-resistant, closed-toed shoes.  The policy did not require employees to [...]

Summer is upon us.  As the temperatures rise, it is important to remember that employees must be protected from heat illness. Employers must protect their outdoor workers from heat illness and to encourage their workers to take preventative cool-down breaks in the shade and encouraging workers to drink water frequently.  This involves employers closely monitoring [...]

Can 100 hugs from your supervisor over the course of 12 years amount to sexual harassment?  AN OVERVIEW OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT Sexual harassment can be verbal, physical or visual.  There are two types. (1) Quid pro quo, AKA, tit for tat, where decisions are conditioned on sexual favors. (2) Hostile Environment, where an offensive work environment [...]