Tag Archives: FEHA

Employee with Mild Symptoms of COVID-19 Was Not “Disabled” Under California Law

In Michelle Roman v. Hertz Local Edition Corp., a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of California granted summary judgment in favor of Hertz, and against former employee Michelle Roman, whose employment was terminated after she contracted COVID. Roman claimed that her job should have been protected by the California Fair Employment … Continue Reading

May 2019 California Employment Law Notes

By Tony Oncidi on May 16, 2019 Posted in ADA, California Labor & Employment Law, Discrimination, Employee Benefits, FEHA, Independent Contractors, Title VII, Wrongful Termination

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

March 2019 California Employment Law Notes

By Tony Oncidi on March 22, 2019 Posted in Background Investigations, California Labor & Employment Law, California Labor Code, Class Actions, EEOC, Employment Law Notes, FEHA, Independent Contractors, On-call, Overtime, PAGA, Tax, Wage and Hour, Wage Statements

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

January 2019 California Employment Law Notes

By Tony Oncidi on January 7, 2019 Posted in ADA, California Labor & Employment Law, Class Actions, Employment Law Notes, FEHA, Meal Periods and Rest Breaks, PAGA, Unfair Competition, Wage and Hour

We invite you to review our newly-posted January 2019 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: School Teacher’s ADA Claim Against Catholic School Was Not Barred By “Ministerial Exception” City Attorney Should Not Have Been Disqualified From Representing City Prevailing Employer Should Not Have … Continue Reading

Former Librarian’s Discrimination Claims Were Barred On Various Legal Grounds

By Tony Oncidi on July 11, 2018 Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Employment Law Notes, Wrongful Termination

Wassmann v. South Orange County Cmty. Coll. Dist., 2018 WL 3063946 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018) Carol Wassmann challenged her dismissal from employment as a tenured librarian at Irvine Valley College in a five-day administrative proceeding brought pursuant to the Education Code. The administrative law judge determined there was cause to terminate Wassmann’s employment, and the … Continue Reading

California Legislature Mulls New Package Of “Job Killer” Bills

By Tony Oncidi and Nayirie K. Mehdikhani on April 25, 2018 Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation, Uncategorized

By Anthony J. Oncidi and Nayirie Kuyumjian The California Chamber of Commerce has just identified a new raft of recently introduced “job killer” bills that have been proposed in the California Legislature. This year’s list of 27 proposed laws includes measures that would impose additional penalties for an employer’s failure to pay wages; increase the … Continue Reading

$48,000 Judgment Affirmed In Favor Of Former Parks & Recreation Employee

By Tony Oncidi on March 19, 2018 Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, FEHA, Sexual Harassment, Sexual orientation discrimination, Uncategorized

Hurley v. California Dep’t of Parks & Recreation, 2018 WL 989506 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018) Delane Hurley worked as a staff services analyst who sued her employer, the Department of Parks & Recreation (“DPR”), and her former supervisor Leda Seals for harassment based on sex and sexual orientation in violation of the Fair Employment and … Continue Reading

Unsuccessful Disability Discrimination Plaintiff Is Not Entitled To Attorney’s Fees

By Tony Oncidi on March 19, 2018 Posted in Attorney's Fees, California Labor & Employment Law, Disability, FEHA

Bustos v. Global P.E.T., Inc., 19 Cal. App. 5th 558 (2017) William Bustos sued his former employer for disability discrimination. A jury determined that Bustos’ actual or perceived physical condition was a substantial motivating reason for his termination, but nevertheless returned defense verdicts on all of his claims. After the trial, Bustos sought an award … Continue Reading

It’s Time to Think About Arbitration Agreements Again Following Recent $15 Million+ Employee Verdicts

By Tony Oncidi on September 2, 2017 Posted in Arbitration Agreements, Attorney's Fees, California Labor & Employment Law, Class Actions, Client Alerts, Disability, Discrimination, Employment Policies, Settlement

Jury panels in the Los Angeles Superior Court (which is often referred to as “The Bank” by the plaintiffs’ bar) have recently delivered multimillion-dollar verdicts to former-employee plaintiffs. Many employers doing business in California already have insulated themselves from such disasters by adopting comprehensive arbitration regimes, which would require that such cases be heard by a retired … Continue Reading

New Transgender Identity and Expression Regulations (July 1, 2017)

By Tony Oncidi and Pietro Deserio on June 22, 2017 Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Discrimination, Employee Handbooks, Employment Policies, FEHA, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation, Retaliation

In May 2017, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) approved new regulations regarding transgender identity and expression in the workplace. The regulations become effective July 1, 2017. The new rules further expand the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s (FEHA) role in preventing discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of gender … Continue Reading

Employee Could Proceed With Wrongful Termination Claim Based Upon Work-Related Injury

By Tony Oncidi on January 20, 2016 Posted in Disability, FEHA, Labor Code § 132, Wrongful Termination

Prue v. Brady Co./San Diego, Inc., 196 Cal. Rptr. 3d 68 (Cal. Ct. App. 2015) Adam Prue alleged wrongful termination of his employment based upon a work related injury, which violated the public policy set forth in Labor Code § 132a. The trial court granted the employer’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds that … Continue Reading

Employee Who Was Working Elsewhere During Medical Leave Of Absence Was Properly Terminated

By Tony Oncidi on March 6, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absence

Richey v. AutoNation, Inc., 182 Cal. Rptr. 3d 644 (Cal. S. Ct. 2015) Avery Richey worked for Power Toyota Cerritos, part of the AutoNation consortium of automobile dealerships, for approximately four years before allegedly injuring his back while moving furniture at his home. Following the injury, Richey applied for and was granted a medical leave … Continue Reading

“Unauthorized Alien” Who Provided False SSN Can Proceed With Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

By Tony Oncidi on July 14, 2014 Posted in Discrimination, FEHA, Immigration

Salas v. Sierra Chem. Co., 2014 WL 2883878 (Cal. S. Ct. 2014) Vicente Salas worked on Sierra Chemical’s production line, filling containers with various chemicals. At the time of his hire, Salas provided Sierra with a resident alien card and a Social Security card and signed an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form). After allegedly … Continue Reading

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

By Charles J. Stiegler and Hal Brody on July 10, 2014 Posted in E-Verify, Federal Jurisdiction, FEHA, Immigration, Wrongful Termination

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

Male Employee’s Sexual Harassment Claims Should Not Have Been Dismissed

By Tony Oncidi on May 16, 2014 Posted in FEHA, Retaliation, Sexual Harassment

Lewis v. City of Benicia, 224 Cal. App. 4th 1519 (2014) Brian Lewis, a heterosexual man, sued his former employer (the City of Benecia) and two former male supervisors for sexual harassment and the City for retaliation. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the supervisors (Steve Hickman and Rick Lantrip) and judgment … Continue Reading

March 2014 California Employment Law Notes

By Tony Oncidi on March 11, 2014 Posted in Attorney's Fees, Class Actions, Collective Bargaining, Employment Law Notes, FEHA, FMLA, Harassment, Kin Care, Leaves of Absence, Overtime, Privacy, Retaliation, Sexual Harassment, Wage and Hour, Whistleblowers, Wrongful Termination

$150,000 Sexual Harassment Verdict And $680,000 Fee Award Affirmed Taylor v. Nabors Drilling USA, LP, 222 Cal. App. 4th 1228 (2014) Max Taylor worked as a floorhand on an oil rig where he alleged he was harassed by his supervisors who called him “queer,” “fagot [sic],” “homo,” and “gay porn star” and was subjected to … Continue Reading

California Moves to Reinstate Large Emotional Distress Damage Awards in “Mixed Motive” Cases

By Charles J. Stiegler on August 21, 2013 Posted in Discrimination, Employee Discipline, FEHA, Harassment, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation, Wrongful Termination

As regular readers of this blog know, it has been a busy summer for employment-related legislation in the California Legislature (see here and here). Yet of all the bills currently wending their way through the legislative process, none would affect California employment law more than Senate Bill 655. If enacted, SB 655 would modify the … Continue Reading

California Amends Sexual Harassment Law

By Anthony DiBenedetto and Tony Oncidi on August 19, 2013 Posted in FEHA, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation, Sexual Harassment

Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 292 this week, amending the Fair Employment and Housing Act to allow an employee claiming sexual harassment to prevail without having to show that the allegedly harassing conduct was motivated by the harasser’s “sexual desire.” S.B. 292 was authored by Senate majority leader Ellen M. Corbett and principally sponsored by … Continue Reading

California Senate Bill 404 Would Add Legal Protection for Employees Who Provide Medical or Supervisory Care to Family Members

By Charles J. Stiegler on August 8, 2013 Posted in FEHA, New and Proposed Laws and Legislation

California employers are well-advised to keep an eye on Senate Bill 404, a proposed amendment to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), California’s primary anti-employment discrimination law. If enacted, SB 404 would add another category to the already lengthy list of protected characteristics under the FEHA – “familial status,” which is defined as “an … Continue Reading

Employers Win Big In Two New U.S. Supreme Court Cases

By Tony Oncidi on July 2, 2013 Posted in Retaliation

Univ. of Tex. S.W. Med. Ctr. v. Nassar, 570 U.S. ___, 2013 U.S. LEXIS 4704 (Jun. 24, 2013) The Supreme Court ruled that a plaintiff asserting retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) must prove that the retaliation was the “but for” cause of the employer’s adverse action. In a … Continue Reading

Employee’s Wrongful Termination And Defamation Claims Were Properly Dismissed

By Tony Oncidi on March 26, 2013 Posted in Defamation, Employment Law Notes, FEHA, Wrongful Termination

McGrory v. Applied Signal Tech., 212 Cal. App. 4th 1510 (2013) John McGrory alleged his employment was terminated because he is male and because he participated in his employer’s internal investigation. He also alleged defamation associated with a statement the vice president of human resources made to another employee about why McGrory had been terminated. … Continue Reading

Employee Who Exhausted Four Months Of Pregnancy Leave Was Entitled To Further Disability Leave

By Tony Oncidi on March 26, 2013 Posted in Employment Law Notes, FEHA, Pregnancy Leave

Sanchez v. Swissport, Inc., 2013 WL 635266 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013) In a case of first impression, the California Court of Appeal determined in this case whether an employee who has exhausted all permissible leave (four months) under the California Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (“PDLL”) may state a claim for failure to accommodate a disability … Continue Reading

California Supreme Court Revises Jury Instructions And Trial Procedures In Discrimination Cases

By Tony Oncidi on March 26, 2013 Posted in Employment Law Notes, FEHA, Wrongful Termination

Harris v. Superior Court, 56 Cal. 4th 203 (2013) Wynona Harris alleged her employment was terminated by the City of Santa Monica because of her pregnancy in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The city claimed Harris had been fired for poor job performance – she had two preventable traffic accidents and … Continue Reading

California Supreme Court Rules On Mixed Motive Defense To Discrimination Claims, But Large Verdicts Persist…

By Jacquelyn Crawley on February 22, 2013 Posted in Discrimination, FEHA

Harris v. City of Santa Monica, No. S181004, 2013 Cal. LEXIS 941 (Feb. 7, 2013) Wynona Harris, a bus driver for the City of Santa Monica (the City), alleged that she was fired because of her pregnancy in violation of the prohibition against sex discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The City … Continue Reading

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