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legal news & tips for employees published by Law Office of Eugene Lee

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Can My Employer Break My Employment Contract? Can I?

Can My Employer Break My Employment Contract? Can I?

Whenever it comes to contracts, the answer is always the same: it depends on what the contract says. A contract is a contract is a contract. Neither you nor your employer can breach a contract without facing the consequences. That is, unless the contract says it's ok. This is why ...

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Top 5 Tips: So You Want to Sue Your Boss?

Top 5 Tips: So You Want to Sue Your Boss?

So you want to sue your employer for racial discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation, failure to pay you your last paycheck, what have you. Now what? Here are five tips all clients should keep in mind before they pick up the phone to call a lawyer. Tip 1: Write it, don’t ...

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Can My Boss Fire Me at Any Time for Any Reason? What is “at will”?

Can My Boss Fire Me at Any Time for Any Reason? What is “at will”?

"At-Will". California is an "at-will" employment state. What does this mean? In most cases, it means that your boss can fire you at any time for almost any reason or no reason at all. She can fire you because she doesn't like you thinks you're too tall or short thinks you talk too ...

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Background Checks -- What Are My Rights?

Background Checks -- What Are My Rights?

If you're applying for a job, or want to keep one, you're going to have to accept that background checks are becoming a part of work life. An estimated 50% of resumes submitted by job applicants contain false or inaccurate information. Bad employees who slip through the hiring process can ...

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What Break Periods Am I Entitled To?

What Break Periods Am I Entitled To?

Under California law (which is much more generous to employees than federal law), if you are a non-exempt worker, you are entitled to meal and rest breaks: a 30-minute meal break if you work more than 5 hours in a workday, and 10 minutes breaks for every 4 hours you ...

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I’m Baaaack (and with a Jury Verdict to report)

Sorry for the long hiatus, folks. But I do have an excuse: I was tied up doing a particularly grueling 3-week jury trial in federal court in Fresno, CA. I’m happy to say that the good guys won — a unanimous verdict on all counts: disability discrimination (mental disability) under the California Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA), failure to accommodate a disability, failure to engage in interactive process to find a reasonable accommodation, CFRA/FMLA medical leave interference, medical leave violation, medical leave retaliation, FEHA complaint retaliation, etc.

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Popularity: 3%

LAPD Hit with $2.3 Mil. Sexual Harassment Jury Verdict

040209 2301 lapdhitwith1 LAPD Hit with $2.3 Mil. Sexual Harassment Jury Verdict The LA Times reports in an article entitled “Jury awards $2.3 million in LAPD harassment case” that a federal jury has awarded a female police officer $2.3 million for sexual harassment and retaliation by members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division in 1996. Melissa Borck, et al., v. City of Los Angeles, et al. (more…)

Popularity: 9%

Fired Chase Manhattan Employee’s Recovery for FMLA Violations Could Exceed $7 Mil.

040408 1852 firedemploy1 Fired Chase Manhattan Employees Recovery for FMLA Violations Could Exceed $7 Mil.According to a Law.com news article, FMLA Verdict Could Cost Chase Manhattan $7.6 Million, Nicholas Lore, a 63-year old Chase Manhattan regional manager who was fired after making several requests for medical leave for a serious health condition under FMLA (Family Medical (more…)

Popularity: 14%

Teacher Wins $1.8 Million Jury Award for Wrongful Termination

122207 0451 teacherwins1 Teacher Wins $1.8 Million Jury Award for Wrongful TerminationFellow attorney Mary-Alice Coleman reports a $1.8 million award to a teacher in a wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against her former employer, private school operator Phoenix Schools Inc. Jennifer (more…)

Popularity: 17%

Fresno State Women’s Basketball Coach Wins $19.1 Million Jury Award for Discrimination, Retaliation

120807 1917 fresnostate2 Fresno State Women’s Basketball Coach Wins $19.1 Million Jury Award for Discrimination, RetaliationThe Sacramento Bee reports that a Fresno County Superior Court jury on Thursday awarded $19.1 million to former Fresno State women’s basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein.

Johnson-Klein had been fired mid-season after less than three seasons as the Bulldogs’ coach. The firing sparked intense (more…)

Popularity: 8%

Disabled Employee in San Francisco Wins $350K Judgment

Fellow attorney Richard Vaznaugh reports a unanimous San Francisco jury awarded an employee in a disability discrimination case $150k in lost wages and $200k in non-economic damages. Tania Garcia had worked at the Electrical Industry Service Bureau, Inc. in San Francisco as a data entry clerk when she became disabled due to eczema and started a medical leave. Ms. Garcia was placed on unpaid leave. Just 18 days before she was due to return to work, EISB fired her without warning because her disability had exceeded 90 days. Ms. Garcia made several efforts to obtain reinstatement with the help of her union but EISB refused. The jury found for Ms. Garcia on all claims. “I feel like I’ve finally got some peace and that they didn’t get away with it,” said Ms. Garcia. Congratulations to Mr. Vaznaugh.

Popularity: 4%