Being a working parent is always challenging. There might be a newborn baby who needs bonding time with his or her father and mother or a sick child who needs to be tended too. However, many parents can't afford to take care of their children if they only use the unpaid leave in the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Workers seek paid family and medical leave
One of the most challenging things for working fathers and mothers is to balance in their family responsibilities. This can include having enough family time to avoid getting burnt out from just working all the time. It can also include taking care of ill daughters and sons, and having paternity and maternity leave at the birth of a baby. For some, unpaid leave is enough. In those cases, the time off provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act suffices. Others are fortunate enough to have generous amounts of paid leave accorded to them by their employer.
California women firefighters claim abuse, discrimination
It wasn't unusual decades ago for workers to tolerate harassment or abuse to preserve their paychecks. Sometimes seeking a solution was worse than putting up with the torment. Responses to complaints frequently included a retaliatory demotion, transfer or termination rather than support for the harmed worker.
California governor signs intern sexual harassment bill
Last year, a New York federal district court ruled that a Syracuse University student was not covered under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights law because she was an unpaid intern. The student had alleged that her supervisor at the company where she had her internship had sexually harassed her, including kissing and groping her. She also alleged that she suffered retaliatory actions from the supervisor after she rebuffed his advances.
What consitutes wrongful termination?
If you have recently been terminated from your job and you don't believe that your employer had a right to do so, you will likely find the following information helpful. Do you know what constitutes wrongful termination? It can encompass a number of actions, including some of these:
Employee misclassification per court: FedEx drivers are employees
The logistics industry could be turned upside down after a recent 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. According to the panel of three judges, FedEx drivers in California and Oregon are employees -- not independent contractors. The ruling affects 2,300 drivers who have been subjected to misclassification by the global delivery service.
There's no place for sexual harassment in your workplace
As a worker in Los Angeles, you don't have to stand for sexual harassment. You shouldn't face discrimination for being a woman in the workplace or simply because of the way you look. California is an at-will employment state, which means that you can be fired you for any or no reason, but your rights against discrimination and sexual harassment are protected. You may choose to pursue a lawsuit against your employer if he or she was harassing you or permitting harassment of you to occur in the workplace.
California federal workers have whistleblower protection
Consider a situation where you want to report wrongdoing at work. If you do, will you lose your job? Could you potentially face harassment due to reporting the problems at your office or agency? Knowing your whistleblower rights can help you understand what you can do to report the problems at work without facing retaliation.
Are the federal and California FMLA laws the same?
The Family and Medical Leave Act has some varying provisions at the federal level and at the state level in California. While many of the provisions are identical, such as the definition of a serious health condition, the provisions that are not similar are important to note. Here are some of the differences between the two:
Domino's Pizza not liable for sexual harassment at franchise shop
The California Supreme Court has reversed an appellate court's decision pertaining to a sexual harassment case at a Domino's Pizza franchised location. The appellate court had ruled that Domino's Pizza, the franchisor, could be held liable for the actions of a manager at a store franchised to Sui Juris LLC. The state's Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling, determined that the franchisor can't be held liable for the actions of that manager.
Is your faith a basis for discrimination at work?
When California workers hear about discrimination, they often automatically think of employment discrimination based on race or gender. The truth is, discrimination comes in many forms, and workers can be treated differently by employers or team members for any number of reasons. Discrimination may be linked to things such as age, medical issues, pregnancy and even military service.
Whistleblower protections in California
In California, whistleblowers are protected from a variety of employer actions. What exactly is a whistleblower? According to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, a whistleblower is someone who discloses information to law enforcement or a government agency about noncompliance or a violation of federal or state statutes or federal, state or local rules or regulations. In addition, a whistleblower may disclose information about unsafe conditions or practices at work.
