As one way of advancing the express purpose of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act to provide effective remedies for discrimination at the workplace, a special venue provision allows plaintiffs to file a lawsuit “in any county in the state in which the unlawful practice is alleged to have been committed, in the county in which the records relevant
Employment & Labor
Reverse Discrimination Against US Citizens At Workplace Is Unlawful
In Rajaram v Meta Platforms, Inc. (2024), an employee sued Meta for giving a hiring preference to H1B visa holders over US Citizens. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal held that section 42 USC 1981 prohibits employer from discriminating against United States citizens, because an employer that does so gives one class of people – noncitizens, or perhaps some group…
Disability Discrimination Claims By Salepeople Fired For “Not Meeting Goals”
A typical disability discrimination claim by a salesperson involves a situation where the employee was fired for not meeting goals due to, in whole or in part, his known medical condition / qualifying disability. The employer then terminates an employee and later argues that the termination was lawful, because meeting the sales goals of the company is an “essential function”…
California Considers Cutting the Cord with Right to Disconnect Legislation
Seyfarth Synopsis: California lawmakers have introduced legislation that would give employees the right to ignore communications from their employers that are received outside the contours of their “working hours,” which must first be agreed upon, in writing.
If signed into law, AB 2751 would add a section to the Labor Code that would require employers to establish a workplace policy…
Employers’ Obligations to Accommodate Religion Under Title VII
The Groff v Dejoy Postmaster General is a recent, significant Supreme Court case, which sets the employers’ obligation to accommodate employee religious practices. This case is extremely helpful to all those workers who need a religious accommodation at workplace, especially if it involves not working on certain days or holidays. In Groff, the highest Court has overturned a number of…
California Legislature Considers Employee’s “Right to Disconnect”
In late March 2024, California Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill, AB 2751, that would recognize a right for employees in California to “disconnect” or ignore communications from their employer during certain non-work hours. The Bill, in its current form, requires an employer to establish a workplace policy that will allow employees “the right to disconnect” from communications…
How Your Overconfidence Can Hurt Your Case
It’s important to recognize the reality that just about any case can be looked at from different angles, and the opposing party in your case probably feels just as strongly about them being right as you are. Too many people, who are involved in litigation, are convinced that they are 100% right, the truth is on their side, and that…
Employers Beware: The Deadline to Comply with Notification Requirement of California’s New Non-Compete Law is Rapidly Approaching!
Last October, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1076 into law and it became effective as of January 1, 2024. AB 1076 was the Legislature’s attempt to codify the California Supreme Court’s 2008 decision, Edwards v. Arthur Anderson LLP, which held that non-compete agreements in the employment context are unenforceable unless they fall within one of the three narrow statutory…
Is It Always Better To Have A Tough Lawyer?
About 10 years ago a client was unhappy when he saw me shaking the opposing attorney’s hand in court right before the hearing. The client went as far as to suspect me of colluding with the other side due to being “too friendly”. I suppose he saw too many lawyer movies which make it look like being disrespectful or downright…
Avoid This Mistake When Requesting A Religiuos Accommodation At Workplace
Under California law, when you apply for a religious accommodation at workplace – your employer is entitled to request further information to better understand the reasons behind your request. The law is not clear what information the employer can inquire about, but they are entitled to a basic follow-up, reasonably necessary to address the accommodation request. This right has to…