Category Archives: Blog
Fake Cover Letter Study Reveals Real Bias against Disabled Job Applicants
Highly qualified job applicants who disclose a disability in their cover letters are commonly discriminated against by employers, according to the findings of a recent study out of Rutgers and Syracuse universities. The researchers, who applied for thousands of accounting positions with fake cover letters and résumés, reportedly found that employers were more than… Read More »
Female and Underrepresented Minority Workers in California Restaurants Often Experience Discrimination, Study Finds
Discrimination is not uncommon for female workers and minorities, in the California restaurant industry, a study conducted by University of California researchers has revealed. The findings, published in a report entitled, “Ending Jim Crow in America’s Restaurants: Racial and Gender Occupational Segregation in the Restaurant Industry,” provide some insight regarding the wages, staff level disparities… Read More »
Workplace Sexual Harassment Impacts About 33% of Females, Survey Finds
By the age of 34, at least 1 in every 3 working women will have been subjected to some type of workplace sexual harassment, a survey recently cited by HuffingtonPost has reported. Analyzing the responses from more than 2,200 part- and full-time working women throughout the U.S., this survey also found that: A significant… Read More »
Immigrant Workers Gain More Protections with California Laws Aimed at Curbing Employer Threats of Deportation
Governor Jerry Brown previously signed a bill that prohibits California employers from using workers’ immigration status against them in an effort to cheat them out of pay they have earned and/or to otherwise compromise their rights. Providing immigrant workers with new protections, this law specifically made it illegal for California employers to report –… Read More »
$17.4 Million Verdict Awarded to Former Farmworkers in Sexual Harassment Case
A federal sexual harassment case filed last year has recently come to an end, with the jury unanimously awarding five female plaintiffs a total of $17.425 million dollars. This decisive verdict includes $2.425 million in compensatory damages and $15 million in punitive damages. Background on the Case & Sexual Harassment Allegations According to court… Read More »
How Manufacturers’ Misleading Claims about Products Can Cost Them: A Look at the Case of Laughing Giraffe Organics
These days, promoting the health benefits of food products is a common – and often powerful – way that companies market their goods to consumers. From pointing out what products do and/or do not contain, marketing towards consumers’ health consciousness abounds. However,the companies that use these tactics must do so carefully because the claims… Read More »
Min. Wage Hikes Need to Be Backed by Enforcement Efforts, Some Say
Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco have been among the major U.S. cities to pass minimum wage increases, culling national attention and some criticism. While these hikes have generally been paced to occur over a few years, with some raising the minimum wage to as much as $15 by 2020, criticism from employers has… Read More »
TCPA Liability for Businesses Increases with Recent FCC Ruling
Last month, officials at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) handed down an important ruling pertaining to consumers’ rights and businesses’ liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This FCC ruling has specifically resolved more than 20 requests for the Commission to clarify the statute and has made it easier to sue businesses under… Read More »
Important Info about New Amendments to the California Sick Leave Pay Law
As of July 1, 2015, the California Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (CHWHFA or Act) has been effect in the state. Among other things, this Act requires employers to provide employees with three paid sick days annually, with few exceptions applying. Two weeks after the CHWHFA went into effect, however, Governor Jerry… Read More »
Groundbreaking EEOC Ruling Protects LGBT Workers from Sexual Orientation Discrimination
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers have recently been granted new protections at work as a result of a ruling handed down by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on July 16, 2015. The ruling specifically stated that “sexual orientation discrimination is sex discrimination because it necessarily entails treating an employee less favorably… Read More »