Legal Blog
DOL Issues New Guidelines for Employers Regarding Worker Classification
Earlier this month, officials at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released new guidelines to help clarify how employers should classify employees versus independent contractors. This issue of misclassifying workers has become increasingly prominent in recent years, as numerous companies have come under fire for misclassifying workers and, in doing so, compromising their rights…. Read More »
5 Sexual Harassment Myths Dispelled
Knowing the facts behind some common and harmful myths about sexual harassment can be important to knowing when your rights have been violated and when it may be time to take legal action. Below, we will debunk some of the most pervasive myths about sexual harassment. Don’t Believe these Myths about Sexual Harassment Myth… Read More »
Student Loan Abuse
As the cost of tuition continues to rapidly increase, student loan debt has skyrocketed. Student loans now make up the nation’s second largest consumer debt market. There are more than 40 million federal and private student loan borrowers and collectively they owe a staggering $1.2 trillion. On June 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau… Read More »
Employee Misclassification
Uber and Lyft are both facing lawsuits in federal court that challenge their designation of drivers as “independent contractors” rather than employees. As reported in a recent Los Angeles Times article, “the companies claim to be only the cyber middleman between drivers and customers, but they also set stringent work rules and can fire… Read More »
Discrimination in Hiring
In a recent United State Supreme Court decision , giant retailer Abercrombie & Fitch lost a discrimination lawsuit brought on behalf of a female employee who was denied employment because she wore a hijab, a traditional Muslim headscarf. Ms. Elauf won a small jury award and Abercrombie appealed the case. The Supreme Court weighed… Read More »
Harassed by debt collectors?
Federal and state laws protect consumers from deceptive, abusive, or unfair debt collection tactics. Among other things, debt collectors are obligated to truthfully identify themselves when they communicate with you in writing or over the phone. This requirement is important because many debt collectors pretend to be attorneys or government agencies to trick or… Read More »
Anti-Discrimination Pay Bill Passes California Senate
The California Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 358, entitled the California Fair Pay Act, which attempts to ensure that women performing substantially the same work as men are paid the same. On average, women make far less per hour for the same work as men, with the pay gap worse for minority women. The… Read More »
Will Bankruptcy Impact My Lawsuit?
A lot of clients pursuing wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination or other employment law claims have questions about the impact of bankruptcy on such claims. Bankruptcy can impact an employment claim if not handled properly by the bankruptcy attorney. The key to ensure that a bankruptcy does not negatively impact an employment lawsuit is to… Read More »
Los Angeles City Approves $15/hr Minimum Wage
In a 14 to 1 vote, the Los Angeles City Council approved raising the minimum wage for city workers to $15 per hour. The increases will be done in stages until 2020. There are certain exemptions and implementation delays for non-profits and small businesses. If you have questions about the wage increases, contact a… Read More »
$15 per hour Minimum Wage?
There are current local and statewide efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This week, the Los Angeles City Hall economic panel backed a proposal to increase the minimum wage from $9 per hour to $15 per hour. The proposal, which would make a slight increase every year until reaching $15… Read More »