According to investigative reporting by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), the Associated Press and Univision, United States Postal Service (USPS) supervisors routinely change postal workers’ timecards in order to short them on pay. When they do this, they rarely...
Employment Law
Can religious schools fire principals based on their race?
Religious organizations, including religious schools, generally have the right to choose whomever they like to fill “ministerial” positions. When it comes to people who are acting as religious ministers, the courts are generally required to stay out of any disputes....
Software vendor Tyler Technologies settles overtime class action
An up-and-coming software vendor has agreed to pay $3.15 million to settle a federal class action lawsuit. The lawsuit was brought by a man who started working for Tyler Technologies in July 2016 as an “implementation consultant.” He claims he was misclassified as...
What happens to my workplace rights if I get pregnant?
When you get pregnant, it changes everything. It can be physically challenging. It can mean a lot of doctor’s appointments. It’s the beginning of an expensive time in your life. You’re full of emotions, hopes and dreams. The last thing you need is to lose your job....
New law bans confidentiality clauses in discrimination settlements
Three years ago, California passed a law prohibiting companies from requiring workers to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to settle workplace sexual harassment, assault and discrimination claims. This was done as a response to the #MeToo movement. Many women...
New California law addresses unsafe quotas in warehouses
If you work in a warehouse or fulfillment center, a new California law may help keep you safer. AB 701 establishes new standards and rules for this type of fast-paced work: It requires companies to make clear what the production quota actually is It ensures workers...
Class action: UPS relegates California women to dead-end jobs
A group of three women who work at the United Parcel Service’s Oakland hub have filed a federal lawsuit against the company. They claim that women employees are routinely relegated to dead-end jobs with lower pay and fewer opportunities for advancement. They are...
Worked through your breaks? You may be entitled to back overtime
If your boss has expected you to work without breaks or through your allotted lunch period, you could be entitled to back pay at the overtime premium rate. Recently, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that workers who miss meal or rest breaks are due “one...
What does California’s CROWN Act do?
It doesn’t make much sense to prohibit discrimination based on race if we still allow discrimination based on race-based characteristics. The CROWN (“Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) Act, which was passed in California in 2019, is an attempt to...
What does illegal workplace race discrimination actually look like?
Race discrimination by employers is prohibited by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is illegal for employers to discriminate in any aspect of employment, from the initial job advertisement and...