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California

Man sues California prisons for sex bias, harassment

08/22/2013
The DOJ is suing the California Depart­­ment of Corrections and Reha­­bili­­ta­­tion (CDCR) on behalf of an employee who alleges he suffered sex discrimination and harassment. The lawsuit alleges that for more than a year, a female co-worker sexu­­ally harassed the man.

California’s Miller introduces job training legislation

08/22/2013
Rep. George Miller, the ranking Demo­­crat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, has introduced H.R. 2721, the Pathways Back to Work Act. The bill would help low-income, unemployed workers find jobs or train for new ones.

Track all ADA requests to establish timeline

08/22/2013
Track each request for ADA reasonable accommodations, along with your response. An employee’s right to sue over the denial begins as soon as it becomes obvious that her employer refused to accommodate her, and won’t be extended just because she keeps asking for an accommodation.

No workers’ comp for sloppy-drunk employee

08/22/2013
A worker who drank himself silly at work, fell and hit his head has lost his workers’ compensation claim.

Court cuts slack for bankrupt employee, declines to enforce traditional litigation rules

08/22/2013
Employees who lose their jobs may not understand that if filing for bankruptcy, they must list any potential litigation claim as an asset. Federal courts have dismissed even obviously valid employment discrimination lawsuits when employees failed to disclose such claims in their bankruptcy paperwork. That may no longer continue, if this recent case is any indi­­cation.

Fashion tip for the fall season: Don’t tolerate teasing about clothing

08/22/2013
Here’s a warning for your super­­visors and managers: If an em­­ployee complains that other em­­ployees are making fun of his wardrobe choices or other manner of dressing, act fast to stop the teasing.

State slapped down on misclassification: Employers don’t have to defend themselves twice

08/22/2013
A California Court of Appeal has held that an employer does not have to endure two trials on whether its workers are employees or independent contractors. The decision was based on the legal principle of collateral estoppel, since the company had already litigated the issue with a state agency.

Limiting on-call activity? Pay for that time

08/22/2013
The California Court of Appeal has held that employees need to be compensated for “on-call” hours if the employer substantially restricts their ability to engage in nonwork activities. However, employers may exclude eight hours of sleep time from 24-hour shifts, if an agreement between the employer and employee calls for it.

State-by-State Chart on Final-Pay Laws

08/14/2013
This chart summarizes the states’ final-pay laws. States without laws have been omitted.

Use documentation to show insubordination

08/01/2013

Some employees will never be happy and seem to do everything possible to interfere with a normal, well-functioning workplace. When that’s the case, don’t hesi­­tate to terminate the disruptive worker. Just make sure you document her shortcomings.