California Labor and Employment Law

Leave Rights in California: Part 2

Getting hurt or sick is no fun, but what’s worse is worrying that you’ll lose your job if you take time off to recover. That’s why employee medical leaves are protected under both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the analogous California Family Rights Act (CFRA). (more…)

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Leave Rights in California: Part 1

Getting hurt or sick is no fun, but what’s worse is worrying that you’ll lose your job if you take time off to recover. That’s why employee medical leaves are protected under both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the analogous California Family Rights Act (CFRA). (more…)

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Filing a Discrimination Complaint in California

In California, employees who wish to file a discrimination lawsuit cannot do so until they first file “charges” with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) and obtain “right to sue” letters. This process is called “administrative exhaustion”. (more…)

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Sexual Harassment in California

It’s hard to believe that sexual harassment still occurs in the modern workplace, but it does. Luckily, Federal and California state laws offer powerful protections against workplace sexual (more…)

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Discrimination Laws in California

Both Federal and California laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on an employee’s “protected characteristics”. Under California’s broad, pro-employee laws (perhaps the best in the US), “protected characteristics” mean: “race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, (more…)

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Los Angeles Courthouses Face Closure: Expect Big Delays

According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, “L.A. County Superior Court faces budget ax; nine courthouses could close”, up to 9 of Los Angeles County’s 50 courthouses may be closed due to (more…)

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Happy Holidays and All the Best in 2010

2009 was a year to forget. Recession (near Depression), bailouts, record unemployment – all added up to human despair on a scale never before witnessed in recent US memory. At times like this, (more…)

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How to Read an Employment Contract: Part 2

Not all employers use employment contracts and not all employees get one. When employment contracts do come into play, they can come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are not written down but have to be pieced (more…)

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How to Read an Employment Contract: Part 1

Not all employers use employment contracts and not all employees get one. When employment contracts do come into play, they can come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are not written down but have to be pieced together from multiple conversations and emails. Other times, they can be hundreds (more…)

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Should Workers Be Paid for Answering Emails After Hours?

In today’s high-tech world, a constant connection to the web and phone comes at a price for workers: all too often, the office comes home with you. A Pew Internet & American Life Project 2008 study entitled “Networked Workers: Most Workers Use the Internet or Email at their Jobs, but They Say These Technologies are a Mixed Blessing for Them”, (more…)

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How Much Time Do Lawsuits Take?

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer!” Famous last words. But what does bringing a lawsuit really mean? Make no mistake about it, a lawsuit can be a big commitment, not just in terms of money, but also in time. Your time. (more…)

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