Monthly Archives: July 2020

When “Disorderly Conduct” Is Misconstrued as Domestic Violence: Allstate Ordered to Pay Fired Insurance Broker for Defamation
In California, state law prohibits your employer from firing you solely because you were arrested on suspicion of a crime. Under Section 432.7 of the state Labor Code, an employer may not consider “any record of arrest or detention that did not result in conviction,” when making employment decisions. This prohibition also extends to… Read More »

California Governor Orders Large Food Sector Employers to Offer Additional Paid Sick Leave During COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rapid changes in the laws governing the rights of workers throughout California. For example, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which grants emergency sick leave benefits to individuals working at companies with less than 500 employees. Obviously, this excludes a wide swath of Californians who work… Read More »

San Francisco Orders Large Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave During COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 18, the Families First Coronavirus Act became federal law. This Act required certain employers to offer “emergency paid sick leave” to eligible employees unable to work, either remotely or in-person, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But the Act only applied to smaller businesses. Employers with more than 500 employees were exempted… Read More »

Who Is Responsible for Racial Discrimination in the Workplace? California Court Addresses Liability of Staffing Agencies
Sexual harassment and racial discrimination are both prohibited under California law. An employee who is the victim of either may sue their employer (or former employer) for damages. But what about other parties? For example, could a victim of employment discrimination sue a staffing agency? A recently published decision from the California Second District… Read More »

California Accuses Uber & Lyft of “Misclassifying” Drivers
In recent years, there have been a number of lawsuits aimed at determining the legal status of drivers who use ride-sharing apps to connect with customers. The two largest ride-sharing companies, Uber and Lyft, have always maintained drivers are “independent contractors” who are not entitled to any of the legal benefits of employees, such… Read More »