Tony Oncidi
Partner
Anthony J. Oncidi heads the Labor & Employment Law Group in the Los Angeles office.
Tony represents employers and management in all aspects of labor relations and employment law, including litigation and preventive counseling, wage and hour matters, including class actions, wrongful termination, employee discipline, Title VII and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, executive employment contract disputes, sexual harassment training and investigations, workplace violence, drug testing and privacy issues, Sarbanes-Oxley claims and employee raiding and trade secret protection. A substantial portion of Tony’s practice involves the defense of employers in large class actions, employment discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination litigation in state and federal court as well as arbitration proceedings, including FINRA matters.
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Employers all over California are once again hearing the siren call of arbitration in the wake of a $15.4 million single-plaintiff verdict that a Los Angeles jury delivered to a former Los Angeles Times sports columnist on Monday. T.J. Simers sued the paper for age and disability discrimination. Simers quit his job in 2013 … Continue Reading
Five In-Home Supportive Service (“IHSS”) providers filed a class-action lawsuit last month challenging their union’s practice of deducting union dues despite their quitting the union. The workers allege their First Amendment rights are being violated by the union deducting dues from their paychecks and using it to subsidize union speech. Just one year ago, the United … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, three taxpayers sued California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to prevent enforcement of Senate Bill 826. Senate Bill 826, signed into law last year by former Governor Jerry Brown, requires that by the end of 2019, all publicly held foreign or domestic corporations whose principal executive offices are in California shall have … Continue Reading
What used to be a routine request – asking the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for an extension of time when responding to a charge of discrimination or harassment and assuming extra time would be granted – apparently is no longer such an automatic thing. In what may signal a broader shift in policy, the … Continue Reading
We’re delighted to report that we secured two summary judgments in two separate alleged discrimination cases on behalf of a large Southern California hospital in matters that were pending in the Los Angeles Superior Court. In one case, decided on July 12, 2019, the Court agreed with our client that the former employee had failed … Continue Reading
As we have reported before, California is set to become the first state to prohibit employers from discriminating based upon hairstyle. Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the “CROWN Act” (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair). The CROWN Act amends the state’s Education Code and Government Code to define “race … Continue Reading
The 9th Circuit court of appeals has enforced the City of Everett, Washington’s Dress Code Ordinance and amendments to the Lewd Conduct Ordinances. These ordinances require employees of “Quick-Service” facilities to cover “minimum body areas” (the dress code ordinance specifically stated that it was targeting an apparent influx of “bikini barista stands”). The owner of … Continue Reading
In a decision unsurprising to anyone familiar with what California juries have been up to lately (see our reporting here), fast-food titan Jack in the Box was ordered to pay $15.4 million (including a staggering $10 million in punitive damages) last week in a lawsuit involving age and disability discrimination claims, as well as alleged … Continue Reading
It’s springtime in California! Even as the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano, the California legislature is busy, busy, busy passing 100s of new laws because, after all, you can never get too much of a good thing! Yes, it’s Bill Passing Season in Sacramento again, and the California legislature seems as determined as ever … Continue Reading
We invite you to review our newly-posted May 2019 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: Strict Independent Contractor Test Applies Retroactively; California Employee Is Compelled To Litigate His Employment Claims In Indiana; Employee Could Rely Upon Former Supervisor’s Statement About Existence Of Discrimination; … Continue Reading
Weil v. Citizens Telecom Servs. Co., 2019 WL 1891796 (9th Cir. 2019) David Weil sued Citizens Telecom Services for wrongful termination and discriminatory failure to promote under Title VII and related statutes. In support of his failure-to-promote claim, Weil testified in his deposition that his former supervisor (identified in the opinion as “L.H.”) told him … Continue Reading
Goldstein v. CUIAB, 2019 WL 1923530 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) Steven M. Goldstein applied for and received unemployment insurance benefits from March 23, 2013 through August 10, 2013 after which time he ceased receiving unemployment benefits because he began receiving disability benefits, which continued until September 2014. Goldstein’s second claim for unemployment insurance benefits had … Continue Reading
Savea v. YRC Inc., 2019 WL 1552686 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) Vaiula Savea sued his employer (YRC) for an alleged violation of Labor Code § 226 based upon YRC’s alleged failure to include the correct employer name and address on its wage statements. The alleged violations arose from YRC’s listing on the wage statements its … Continue Reading
Garcia v. Salvation Army, 918 F.3d 997 (9th Cir. 2019) Ann Garcia worked as social services coordinator for the Salvation Army but “left the Church” and stopped attending religious services there a few years before taking a lengthy medical leave of absence due to fibromyalgia and eventually being fired for failing to report to work … Continue Reading
Ryze Claim Solutions LLC v. Superior Court, 2019 WL 1467947 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) Jerome Nedd was employed by Ryze Claim Solutions in El Cerrito, California for almost three years before his employment was terminated, resulting in his filing claims against Ryze for wrongful termination and violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) … Continue Reading
Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l, 2019 WL 1945001 (9th Cir. 2019) Last year, the California Supreme Court in Dynamex Ops. W. Inc. v. Superior Court, 4 Cal. 5th 903 (2018), adopted the so-called “ABC test” for determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor and in so doing made it much more difficult … Continue Reading
A new California bill aims to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based upon their hairstyles. SB 188, also known as the “CROWN Act” (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair), proposes amending the Education Code and Government Code to define “race or ethnicity” as “inclusive of traits historically associated … Continue Reading
Last year, we questioned whether California’s new restrictions on independent contractors would apply retroactively. Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit decided in Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l, 2019 WL 1945001 (9th Cir. 2019), that the landmark ruling in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court should be applied retroactively. The new test established in Dynamex upended the Borello test, … Continue Reading
For the second time this calendar year, a Los Angeles jury ordered an employer to pay $11 million to an employee who claimed to have been sexually harassed. And, once again, the amount of punitive damages ($8 million) dwarfed the amount of compensatory damages ($3.1 million) by a margin of more than two-to-one. On Friday, … Continue Reading
I’m delighted to be presenting a webinar on “Sexual Harassment Claims and Mandatory Arbitration Agreements” for the California Lawyers Association from 12:00 to 1:00 pm PDT on Wednesday, April 24. In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in the context of sexual harassment claims has come under fierce attack … Continue Reading
Tony Oncidi: On the issue of #MeToo and the current and best way for an employer to respond to those issues, I think there are certain things that are essentially table stakes that all employers need to do before they start considering other options. Number one, they have to make sure that they have all the … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, April 16, 1-2 pm PDT, Tony Oncidi will be joining the Employment Roundtable of Southern California (ERTSC) and presenting the webinar, A Quick Legal Update of New Employment Laws and Cases. The New Year rang in nearly twenty new employment laws. 2018 and 2019 have produced dozens and dozens of significant employment cases. … Continue Reading
Just another day in paradise in Los Angeles… Unless you happen to be an employer. Continuing the recent spate of multi-million dollar verdicts, an LA jury awarded a former police officer $7 million on her sex discrimination claim. Lili Hadsell, a former police chief for the City of Baldwin Park, alleged that she was subjected … Continue Reading
We invite you to review our newly-posted March 2019 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: Eddie Money Beats Discrimination Lawsuit Based On Free Speech Right; Former Accountant Could Proceed With Whistleblower Lawsuit; Employer Violated FCRA With Improper Background Check Notice; Fruit Growers May … Continue Reading
Los Angeles Jury Awards $15.4 Million To Former LA Times Columnist
Public Employee Union Members Sue Over Forced Dues Payments
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Union Issues
California Law Requiring Female Board Members Challenged In Court
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law
EEOC Has Begun Denying Employers’ Requests For Extensions Of Time To Respond To Discrimination Charges
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in EEOC
Proskauer Scores Two Summary Judgments for Large Southern California Hospital Within 48 Hours
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Discrimination, Retaliation
California Enacts Law Prohibiting Hairstyle Discrimination … with New York and New Jersey Close Behind
By Tony Oncidi, Laura Fant and Cole Lewis on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation
“Bikini Baristas” Ordered to Cover-Up
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law
California Jury Awards $15.4 Million to Former Jack in the Box Employee
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Jury verdicts
Ah, It’s Bill Passing Season in California – and No Employer is Safe!
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation
May 2019 California Employment Law Notes
Employee Could Rely Upon Former Supervisor’s Statement About Existence Of Discrimination
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Title VII, Wrongful Termination
IT Analyst Was Properly Denied Unemployment Benefits
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Disability, Employee Benefits
Employer Did Not Violate PAGA By Failing To Include “ZIP+4 Code” On Wage Statements
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Labor Code § 226, PAGA
Former Employee’s Claims Against The Salvation Army Were Properly Dismissed
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in ADA, California Labor & Employment Law, Disability, Title VII
California Employee Is Compelled To Litigate His Employment Claims In Indiana
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, FEHA, Wrongful Termination
Strict Independent Contractor Test Applies Retroactively
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Hiring, Independent Contractors
California Bill Aims to Prohibit Employers from Discriminating on Basis of Hairstyle
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Discrimination, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation
9th Circuit Applies Strict Independent Contractor Test, Dynamex, Retroactively
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Independent Contractors
California Jury Awards $11 Million In Latest Blockbuster Sexual Harassment Verdict
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in #MeToo, Jury verdicts, Sexual Harassment
Join Us for a Webinar on Sexual Harassment Claims and Mandatory Arbitration Agreements
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in #MeToo, Arbitration Agreements
Harassment Claims: Best Practices for Employers in the #MeToo Era
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in #MeToo, Harassment
Tune in to the Webinar Today: Employment Roundtable of Southern California
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law
City of Baldwin Park Hit with $7 Million Sex Discrimination Verdict
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Discrimination, Verdict
