California wage and hour attorney

LA Employers to Pay Higher Wages and Offer More Sick Days

June 19, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

During the nearly completed primary season and prior to the upcoming presidential election, we have been hearing a lot about what the federal minimum wage should be and what other benefits should be provided to every employee across the country. Regardless of what ultimately happens with the federal election, Los Angeles has been at the forefront of fighting for workers’ rights to fair and appropriate compensation for quite some time.

As discussed in a recent news feature from the National Law Review, beginning on the first of July 2016, employers who have more than 25 employees will be required to pay higher minimum wages and provide at least six sick days (paid) to each employee per calendar year. For employers with less than 25 employees, they will still need to provide the paid sick days, but they can wait until July 1, 2017 to implement the increased minimum wage. Continue Reading ›

Domestic Workers Fear End of Employee Bill of Rights

May 31, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

In the State of California, being a domestic worker or home healthcare worker is not an easy job. These employees have not traditionally been fairly compensated, and there are a variety or reasons for this. One of the reasons is that many domestic workers are women, and, as we all know, there is a long history of women women not being paid the same amount as their male counterparts for doing the exact same work.

Another of the problems faced by domestic workers is that they are not protected by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires employers to pay their workers time and a half after they have worked eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a workweek. One of the ways to help these domestic workers get around the exemptions in the FSLA is that the legislature in California passed what is known as the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (AB 241) according to Women’s News. Continue Reading ›

Former Orange County Assessor’s Office Workers Wrongful Termination Suit Going to Trial

April 25, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

According to a recent news release from the Voice of OC, two former employees at the Orange County Assessor’s Office have filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful termination and various other allegations of violations of the California labor code.

While there was some hope that the case would be settled prior to trial, it now appears that it will likely be heard before an Orange County jury, as the trial is scheduled to start in October of this year. Continue Reading ›

Newspaper Delivery Workers Ruled to Be Independent Contractors

April 22, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

When most people hear the term “contractor” they immediately think of a person you can hire to do work on your home. You may be adding and extra room, building a garage, finishing a basement, or having many other types of work performed on the house.

For example, if you wanted to turn an unfinished basement into a guest apartment, you would have a contractor come over and prepare and estimate, and then you would hire this person to do the work. He or she would tell you how long the job would take and what it would cost. He or she would tell when you should stay out of the home to avoid any disruption and when the work would begin. Continue Reading ›

California Jury Orders Taco Bell to Pay Workers in 10-Year-Old Case

April 7, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

According to a recent news article from Eater, a lawsuit that has dragged on for ten years involving employees who sued for half a million dollars claiming that Taco Bell made them take unpaid lunch breaks is finally over. The lawsuit ended when a California jury awarded the plaintiffs $500,000 in back due wages for the unpaid lunches.

The case was first filed 10 years ago by two employees. These employees consolidated other cases that were already in the system and got it certified as a class action lawsuit. They then recruited enough class members for the litigation to proceed as class action matter. Continue Reading ›

California Domestic Workers Demand Fair Wages

April 5, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

Equal pay for equal work has long been one of the main goals for those fighting for women’s rights. However, while the goal and the protests have been around for decades, we are still a long way from realizing that goal. For this reason, those in the Democratic party running for the presidential nomination have said this will be a major policy issue if they are elected.

This is especially a problem in industries that are dominated by female workers. According to a recent news feature from the Huffington Post, 95 percent of all domestic workers in California are women. They are now demanding better wages. Continue Reading ›

Former Chipotle Employee Suing Company for Sexual Harassment

April 1, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

Chipotle has been in the headlines a lot recently, mostly because of allegations of hundreds of cases of food poisoning in stores across the country, man of which were shuttered until the source of the contamination was identified and addressed. While that problem appears to be solved and the company’s sales are beginning to recover, the company is back in the news again because a former employee is suing them over what the plaintiff has called a “sexually-charged atmosphere.”

According to a recent news article from NBC 4 Southern California, plaintiff alleges that she and other female employers were subject to frequent sexual harassment at their workplace. One example alleged in her complaint is that her supervisors intentionally ordered a shirt they knew to be too tight. She said she asked for a larger shirt, but her manager asked her if she needed a larger size because her breasts were too big. She also alleged they used the store security cameras to watch women they believed were attractive. Continue Reading ›

Employment Lawsuits Have Plagued Donald Trump

March 27, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

These days, it is virtually impossible to turn on the television, open social media or even take public transportation without hearing about Donald Trump and his bid for the GOP presidential nomination. Regardless of your feelings about him as a candidate, he is clearly an excellent marketer and seems thrilled every time he is mentioned in the press – even if it is for a story depicting him in a negative light.

A recent article from the International Business Times reports Trump has been sued by hundreds of his own employers for alleged violations of the local and national labor laws. The article suggests that the may be somewhat different from his “tough but fair” reputation on The Apprentice, where he was known for his catch phrase, “You’re fired.” Continue Reading ›

Unemployment Down in LA, Though Jobs Down as Well

March 15, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

A recent news feature from the Los Angeles Business Journal discusses how the unemployment rate is down in Los Angeles County. At the time, reports show there are nearly 90,000 fewer jobs on the books since the start of this year.

As for the actual numbers, the unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent, which is a significant drop from the higher rates we were seeing in the past year. However, while a sharp drop in the unemployment rate is normally thought of as a positive, it may not be so in this case. In order to calculate employment, we have to figure out the number of people who are not working, but are willing and able to work, and are currently looking for employment. Continue Reading ›

Retail Workers Protest Job Layoffs, Salary Cuts in Los Angeles Area

March 8, 2016 | by Nassiri Law

According to a recent newscast from ABC 7, a large retailer in the Los Angeles area is cutting hours, reducing hours, and laying off workers, and this is leading to large scale protests by company employees. The company is claiming that it has no choice, as it trying to survive and reemerge following a recent restructuring bankruptcy.

Things started with a strike/work stoppage this past week after several workers were fired for protesting what the company was doing. These workers are members of a major apparel worker’s union, and a spokesperson for that union says they are losing hours, jobs, and pay and can no longer afford to live and take care of their families, despite the fact that they are working as many hours as their employer will give them in what used to be a full-time job. Continue Reading ›