California Employment Law Update
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Hal Brody

Hal Brody is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department. His practice is characterized by its diversity and he has represented employers in virtually every facet of labor and employment law.

For over 25 years, Hal has represented employers in almost every conceivable forum. He has appeared before the National Labor Relations Board in connection with union organizing campaigns and unfair labor practice charges. He has handled numerous labor arbitrations. He has appeared before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing on a broad range of employment discrimination matters, and he has practiced before the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the United States Department of Labor on a wide variety of wage and hour issues. Although very much a labor generalist, over the past several years, Hal's practice has focused on employment litigation. He has appeared before trial and appellate courts throughout California, successfully representing employers in such matters as wrongful discharge, sexual harassment, ERISA, wage and hour, and employment discrimination lawsuits. The diversity of Hal's practice can be gauged by the range of employers he has represented in such litigations: financial institutions; museums; hospitals; airlines; retailers; newspapers; food processors and distributors; theme parks; publishers; and television and motion picture companies.

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Social Media Mania — Be Careful Out There!

Employers are increasingly turning to social networking sites to find additional information about candidates. In fact, recent articles suggest that an applicant’s failure to have a social media presence is viewed by many employers as a decided negative, and a 2006 CareerBuilder survey found that 70 percent of employers use social networking sites to research … Continue Reading

Do California’s New Restrictions on Independent Contractors Apply Retroactively?

On May 1, we reported on the California Supreme Court’s opinion in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, in which the Supreme Court set forth the standard for determining if a worker may properly be classified as an employee or independent contractor. See  Cal. Employment Law Blog (May 1, 2018). An issue that the Court … Continue Reading

Labor Commissioner Issues New Guidance On Breaks

The California Labor Commissioner recently issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) memo regarding breaks and lactation accommodation. The FAQ memo contains no new concepts, but emphasizes the following longstanding principles: California employers must authorize and permit a net 10-minute paid rest period for every four hours worked (or major fraction thereof). To the extent practicable, … Continue Reading

Employer’s Victory In Workers’ Compensation Proceeding Leads To Dismissal Of Discrimination Claims

A recent California Court of Appeal opinion reminds employers of the need to carefully monitor parallel workers’ compensation proceedings involving litigants who also have civil claims pending against the employer. Ly v. County of Fresno, 2017 WL 4546059 (Cal. Ct. App. Sept. 15, 2017). Three Laotian correctional officers filed Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) … Continue Reading

FAQ About California’s New Law on Venue and Choice of Law in Employment Agreements

We recently blogged about Governor Brown signing S.B. 1241, which is now codified as Section 925 of the California Labor Code. The law, which affects venue and choice of law provisions in agreements entered into as a condition of employment, will begin applying to agreements entered into, modified, or extended beginning on January 1, 2017. … Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Tires (For Now) of Playing “Whack-a-Mole” With California Over Arbitration

On January 20, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition for certiorari filed in CLS Transp. Los Angeles, LLC v. Iskanian, a case in which the California Supreme Court held that waivers of employees’ right to bring representative actions under California’s Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (“PAGA”) are unenforceable under state law. You … Continue Reading

California Supreme Court Limits Recovery for Employees Who Misrepresent Their Immigration Status

On June 26, 2014, the California Supreme Court handed down Salas v. Sierra Chemical, a case at the intersection of employment and immigration law. Salas, a former employee of Sierra Chemical, filed suit alleging disability discrimination and wrongful termination. Prior to trial, Salas notified the court that he would assert a Fifth Amendment privilege to … Continue Reading

Court of Appeal Rejects “Trial by Formula,” Reverses Multimillion Dollar Verdict and Orders Class Decertified

Duran v. U.S. Bank Nat’l Ass’n, No. A125557, 2012 WL 366590 (Feb. 6, 2012) In a decision destined to have significant statewide ramifications, the California Court of Appeal for the First District reversed a trial court’s certification of a wage-hour class and determination of liability, concluding that the trial court had failed to follow “established … Continue Reading
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