Los Angeles Employment and Labor Newsletters

The State of California encourages any employee who has reason to believe their employer is in violation or non-compliance with a state or federal regulation to notify an appropriate government or law enforcement agency of the misconduct. Some employees are hesitant to report violations because they are afraid of retribution or retaliation. The State of California protects whistle blowers from these concerns through California Labor Code Section 1102.5, which prohibits retaliatory action from the employer. If you are considering reporting a violation or have already done so and are concerned about retribution, you should speak with a Los Angeles employment attorney for guidance. A whistle blower can play an important role in correcting current or past wrongdoing in the following places of employment: Public or private businesses Governmental facilities School districts Community college districts Political subdivisions University of California – California Labor Code Section 1105 California Protections For Whistle Blowers…
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Racial discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employer treats an employee or applicant differently than others because of his or her race or racial characteristics. Discrimination can also stem from company policies which adversely affect employees differently based on race. Employees subjected to race discrimination may be entitled to relief under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or under state anti-discrimination laws, depending on the size of the employer. Employment discrimination based on race, ethnicity or skin color can occur at any stage of employment, including hiring, firing, laying off, promoting, assigning benefits, determining compensation, assigning job duties or training. Examples include: Assigning employees of a particular race, ethnicity or skin color to certain establishments or geographic regions Classifying employees to keep those of a particular race, ethnicity or skin color away from customers or other employees and/or to limit them to certain jobs, positions or…
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The California minimum wage law includes a minimum pay of $8.00 per hour. There are very specific wage laws governing what employers in the state must pay. These include: • Overtime pay after eight hours of work per day, or after 40 hours per week • A worker putting in a seventh day of the week must be paid time and a half for the first eight hours on the seventh day • A worker putting in a seventh day of the week must be paid double time after eight hours on the seventh day There is an exemption to the rule requiring overtime pay after a worker works eight hours in a given day. A worker who is assigned a four day/10 hour work week is not obligated to receive the eight hour overtime payment. In California, this rule holds true only if the company established its four day…
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Reverse discrimination is when a member of a majority, or favored group, claims they were the victim of discrimination at the hands of a member of a minority, or disfavored group. Examples are a white person alleging discrimination by an African American person, or a male alleging discrimination by a female. Reverse discrimination is a controversial topic in the United States because some consider affirmative action policies and racial quotas forms of reverse discrimination. Landmark California Discrimination Case In 1977, a California medical school denied admission to a white applicant, which led to a landmark case in the nation’s highest court. Allan Bakke applied to the University of California Davis Medical School. The medical school sought a more diverse racial and ethnic student body, and Bakke was competing for one of only 100 open spots. The school reserved 16 of the open spots for minority applicants in order to address…
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