California Employment Legal News Articles & Interviews

San Francisco, CA Prop 22 classifies Uber, Lyft and other app-based drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Now, after numerous appeals, the California Supreme Court is considering whether the bill is constitutional and over 1 million people in California could be impacted by this California labor decision.

Santa Maria, CA New Hope Harvesting LLC, has agreed in California federal court to a $1 million deal that will settle claims brought by about 900 migrant workers. The agricultural workers claimed the strawberry harvester denied their full wages, denied them proper rest and meal breaks, and charged or failed to reimburse them for certain expenses. The California labor settlement covers potential claimants hired by New Hope since April 16, 2018, to pick strawberries in California farms.

Los Angeles, CA Kanye “Ye” West is facing a California labor harassment, discrimination and retaliation lawsuit – and more allegations – filed by Trevor Phillips, a Black man and former employee. Phillips, who claims West is anti-black, also included the rapper’s Yeezy company and his Christian private school Donda Academy. And last week Ye was hit with a similar discrimination suit in California state court.

Alameda County, CAThe California Supreme Court has ruled in the lawsuit Ruelas v. County of Alameda that the state’s minimum wage law does not apply to people working for private companies while they are held in pretrial detention in California’s jails. The California labor lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of people incarcerated at the Santa Rita Jail who worked without pay for “private company” Aramark, a $16 billion for-profit corporation that provides food in jails and prisons, and more.

New York City, NY Earlier this year, New York City enacted a law that amends the city's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) from 2014. Under Int. 0563-2022, “any person" has a private right of action to file New York lawsuits in court within two years of learning of an alleged violation. The law took effect in March, 2024.

San Francisco, CAA California State Assemblymember has introduced a bill which will give an office worker the “right to disconnect” from the boss after working hours. If passed, Bill AB 2751 would be the first law of this nature in the U.S., which is already in effect in several countries across the pond. (New York City didn’t adopt a similar proposal in 2018). And it would likely have tech companies up in arms.

San Francisco, CA Tesla and former Black sub-contractor Owen Diaz have finally settled a California labor racial harassment lawsuit. The settlement ends a long-running battle over how much Tesla would pay Diaz after getting one of the largest awards in a U.S. employment discrimination case overturned.

Santa Clara, CA In a recent California Supreme Court ruling, a worker’s time spent on an employer’s premises undergoing security checks is compensable as hours worked, but time spent driving from the security gate to the parking lot does not qualify as “hours worked”. This California labor law decision emphasizes that the extent of employer control is what mainly defines the classification of "hours worked."

San Francisco, CA  Phillips 66 Co. and refinery workers duked it out before a California federal judge on March 14 over meal-break and time-rounding policies. Workers claims that Phillips automatically deducted 30-minute break periods from hundreds of workers' pay add up to $46.5 million in violation of California labor law.

Los Angeles, CA Disney Hotels is facing yet another class action lawsuit claiming California labor law violations. This time, maintenance workers claim they are paid less than fast food workers. You’d think that Disney could afford to either supply its maintenance crews with tools or pay them the proper hourly rate, considering that its hotel rooms begin at $500 and some go for more than $800 per night, depending upon the location. That would likely be more cost-effective than a class-action lawsuit. Clearly, Disney is not the happiest place on earth for everyone.