Dixie Morrison
Dixie Morrison is an associate in the Labor Department and a member of the Employment Litigation & Arbitration Group.
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The federal court for the Northern District of California recently declined to dismiss a former Al Jazeera International employee’s constructive wrongful termination claim against the news outlet, finding that requiring an employee to perform tasks more advanced than their pay level, without promotion, could constitute “intolerable” working conditions. The plaintiff alleges she was working as … Continue Reading
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has confirmed an arbitrator’s October 2021 award of $31 million to be paid by actor Kevin Spacey to producers of the Netflix show House of Cards for Spacey’s alleged breach of contract. As we previously reported, the producers alleged that Spacey was responsible for millions of dollars in costs … Continue Reading
As of Friday, July 1, non-hotel employers with full-time employees in West Hollywood must provide up to 96 hours of compensated time off (“CTO”) each year. (Part-time West Hollywood employees must receive a prorated number of CTO hours based on their hours worked.) These requirements already went into effect for hotel employers on January 1, … Continue Reading
A federal appeals court recently affirmed a summary judgment entered in favor of WinCo Foods in a class action alleging that WinCo should have reimbursed successful job applicants for the time and travel expenses they incurred in obtaining a drug test as a pre-condition of employment. In Johnson v. WinCo Foods, LLC, the court agreed … Continue Reading
Last Friday, the Los Angeles Superior Court in Crest et al. v. Padilla (“Crest”) held that Senate Bill 826 (“SB 826”), also known as the “Women on Boards” law, is unconstitutional. The lawsuit challenging the law was brought by DC-based nonprofit Judicial Watch on behalf of California taxpayers. Earlier this week, the state announced that … Continue Reading
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has voted for the third time to readopt and revise the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”), which lay out guidelines for testing, masking, and other COVID-19 prevention measures for employers to follow with respect to their employees and workspaces. The most recent ETS took effect on May 6. … Continue Reading
California law requires employers to furnish a “safe and healthful” workplace to employees. Now that the line between “workplace” and “home” has been blurred for so many workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the law has been unclear as to whether that obligation extends to an employee whose “workplace” happens to be their … Continue Reading
The California Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee recently passed Senate Bill 1044, moving the legislation one step closer to a vote by the full state senate. SB 1044 would permit employees, without notice, to leave their workplace—or not show up to work at all—if they “feel unsafe.” SB 1044 would prohibit employers from … Continue Reading
On February 10, 2022, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced Assembly Bill 1993 (“AB 1993”), which would impose COVID-19 vaccination requirements on virtually all employees and independent contractors working in California, regardless of employer/company size. AB 1993 would mandate that all employers require all of their employees and independent contractors to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19. … Continue Reading
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which has responsibility for the County’s more than 10 million residents, kicked off the new year with a brand new Health Officer Order on January 5, 2022. Among other changes, the new Health Officer Order imposes significant requirements on employers with respect to face coverings (effective January … Continue Reading
In the latest blow against Netflix’s aggressive recruiting practices, a California appellate court has affirmed a trial court’s injunction against Netflix and in favor of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (“Fox”), thus permanently barring the streaming giant from poaching Fox executives by inducing them to breach their fixed-term employment contracts. Netflix challenged the injunction, which … Continue Reading
A suit filed last week in San Diego Superior Court serves as a reminder to employers about the importance of keeping up-to-date on California’s evolving Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). In the new suit, an employee, Jeffrey Thornton, claims that he was discriminated against on the basis of his race when his former employer, … Continue Reading
Kevin Spacey’s legal troubles have taken a costly turn as the production companies behind Netflix’s House of Cards recently asked a California court to confirm an arbitration award of almost $31 million against Spacey for breach of contract. In 2017, eight House of Cards crew members came forward to accuse Spacey of sexual harassment and … Continue Reading
As anyone who has worked in a customer-facing job can tell you, dealing with difficult customers often comes with the territory. However, when customer behavior crosses a line into illegal conduct like sexual harassment, both the customer and the employer may find themselves in hot water. Wynn Las Vegas, a Nevada hotel, learned the hard … Continue Reading
Work Beyond Pay Grade Can Be Grounds for Constructive Termination, Court Rules
By Mark Theodore and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Constructive Discharge, Wrongful Termination
California Court Confirms Kevin Spacey Must Pay $31 Million to House of Cards Producers
By Tony Oncidi and Dixie Morrison on Posted in #MeToo, Breach of Contract, Entertainment Industry, Sexual Harassment
West Hollywood Employers Now Must Provide 96 Hours of Paid Time Off for Full-Time Employees
By Mark Theodore and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Vacation or PTO
Employer Need Not Reimburse Travel Expenses for Drug Test
California “Women on Boards” Law Ruled Unconstitutional, but California Will Appeal
By Kate Gold and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Diversity and Inclusion, Gender discrimination
California Safety Board Updates COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards
By Mark Theodore and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Coronavirus, COVID-19
Real WFH Stories: Employer Not Responsible for Ensuring Safety of Employees’ Homes, Appeals Court Holds
By Mark Theodore and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Workplace Safety, Workplace Violence
New “Job-Killer” Bill Would Allow Employees to Just Walk Off the Job!
New Bill Seeks to Impose Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for All Employees and Contractors
Los Angeles Employers Now Must Provide and Monitor Masks in the Workplace
By Tony Oncidi, Philippe A. Lebel and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Coronavirus, COVID-19
Court Rejects Netflix’s Challenge to Poaching Injunction
New Lawsuit Reminds Employers to Check Their Grooming Policies
By Kate Gold, Philippe A. Lebel and Dixie Morrison on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Discrimination, FEHA
House of Cards: What Employers Can Learn From Kevin Spacey’s Alleged Missteps
Is the Customer Always Right? How Employers Should Respond to Patron Misconduct
By Tony Oncidi and Dixie Morrison on Posted in Harassment, Sexual Harassment
