There is no place in today’s world for workplace discrimination, however, this continues to be a common problem throughout the entire country.
Our California readers will find this story interesting, as it touches on a secret policy that allows the governor to veto employment discrimination lawsuits that are brought against public agencies. Even more so, the governor is in position to do so without any disclosure or explanation. As you can imagine, this goes a long way in holding back the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
According to a report by the state Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes, public agencies made up 15 percent of enforcement action from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing before the policy was put into place in 2008. Since then, the number has sharply declined to approximately one percent.
Although the policy was adopted when Arnold Schwarzenegger was in office, it has remained active under current Governor Jerry Brown.
According to the report, “this constitutes unequal treatment for public employees, creates a potential for abuse and compromises DFEH’s statutory independence.”
At this time, there is no information available related to how many claims were denied while Schwarzenegger was the governor. It has been noted that Brown’s office has dropped several cases.
It is important that this long standing secret policy be brought to life, as it can impact people throughout the state of California. Enlisting the help of an attorney is often the best way for somebody to deal with a workplace discrimination case. Every time someone stands up for his or her rights, it sends a message that discrimination will not be tolerated.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Secret policy allows governor to veto public job bias cases” Patrick McGreevy, Dec. 18, 2013
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