Source: http://deanroyerlaw.com/author/deanroyerlaw
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 23:55:17+00:00

Document:
A case with one representative claim cannot be forced into arbitration.
March 28, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, Arthur Zakaryan v. The Men’s Wearhouse, Inc.: a case based on one representative (Private Attorney General Act of 2004) claim cannot be split and sent to two different fora, i.e. one part remains in court and one part goes to arbitration.
Religious organizations are exempt from all claims under federal employment discrimination law (Title VII).
March 18, 2019, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Ann Garcia v. Salvation Army: the Salvation Army is exempt from the federal employment discrimination law (Title VII) under the religious organization exception for hiring and firing decisions as well as retaliation and hostile work environment claims.
Ministerial exception does not bar preschool teachers at Jewish synagogue from pursuing claims against their employer.
March 8, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, Julie Su v. Stephen S. Wise Temple: preschool teachers at a Jewish synagogue may pursue wage and hour claims against their employer because the “ministerial” exception does not apply.
Professor cannot pursue defamation claim against his employer but his retaliation claim survives.
February 28, 2019, Sixth District Court of Appeal, Jason Laker v. Board of Trustees of the California State University: under the anti-SLAPP law, a professor’s defamation claim against his public university employer is based on protected activity (statements made in the course of an internal investigation of another professor), but his retaliation claim to the extent it is based on investigations into the professor’s conduct is not.
Plaintiffs in representative action cannot take the full 25 percent of civil penalties.
February 27, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, David Moorer v. Noble L.A. Events, Inc.: the 25 percent of the civil penalties for a representative action (Private Attorney General Act of 2004) that are allocated to the “aggrieved” employees must be distributed in a pro rata amount to all of those employees.
Compensation of employees determined by California’s minimum wage rather than Long Beach as a charter city.
February 25, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, Wendy Marquez v. City of Long Beach: Long Beach must comply with California’s minimum wage requirements notwithstanding its status as a charter city.
Representative action not subject to arbitration agreement.
February 25, 2019, Fourth District Court of Appeal, Mark Correia v. NB Baker Electric, Inc.: the California Supreme Court decision that representative actions (Private Attorney General Act of 2004) cannot be forced into arbitration is still good law.
Labor contractor who obtained temporary workers for grower company may be held liable under federal employment discrimination law.
February 6, 2019, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Global Horizons, Inc.: applying the common-law agency test, which has the extent of control over the detail of work as the principal guidepost, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the trial court’s decision that the contractor and growers were joint employers for all purposes.
Sales clerks entitled to pay for on-call reporting time.
February 4, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, Skylar Ward v. Tilly’s, Inc.: on-call employees in the mercantile industry who contacted their employer two hours before on-call shifts are reporting for work and are owed reporting time pay.
Employment discrimination case by drummer for Eddie Money arises from Mr. Money’s right of free speech as to which musicians performed with him.
February 1, 2019, Second District Court of Appeal, Glenn Symmonds v. Edward Joseph Mahoney: the Second District decided that the anti-SLAPP law applies to a musician’s claims concerning his termination.
Whistleblower case based on reporting employer’s alleged noncompliance with use tax law.
January 23, 2019, First District Court of Appeal, Says Siri v. Sutter Home Winery, Inc.: Ms. Siri’s case cannot be resolved by summary judgment.
January 11, 2019, First District Court of Appeal, Nichelle Duffey v. Tender Heart Home Care Agency, LLC: to determine Ms. Duffey’s status, the recent California Supreme Court decision (Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903) indicates the standard described in the law she sued under (Domestic Worker Bill of Rights) must be used.
Recovery for unpaid overtime claim?
January 4, 2019, First District Court of Appeal, Terry Furry v. East Bay Publishing, LLC: despite Mr. Furry’s imprecise evidence of his hours works, it was error to completely deny him relief because the employer failed to keep accurate records of his hours.
Whether judgment in representative action concerning alleged meal break violations will stand.
December 20, 2018, Fourth District Court of Appeal, Kileigh Carrington v. Starbucks Corporation: Ms. Carrington was an “aggrieved” employee who could bring the action because the claims included employees who, like Ms. Carrington, worked more than five hours without being provided a timely meal break or paid a meal period premium.
Catholic elementary school exempt from employment discrimination claim?
December 17, 2018, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Kristen Biel v. St. James School: Ms. Biel can pursue her Americans with Disabilities Act claim against the Catholic elementary school that terminated her employment.
Can health care employees waive a second meal period?
December 10, 2018, California Supreme Court, Jazmina Gerard v. Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center: A wage order of the Industrial Welfare Commission permitting health care employees to waive a second meal period even if they have worked more than 12 hours does not violate California’s Labor Code.
Does rejection of a statutory settlement offer allow a prevailing employer to recover its costs?
November 14, 2018, Second District Court of Appeal, Felix Huerta v. Kava Holdings, Inc.: Settlement offers under Code of Civil Procedure 998 have no application to costs and attorneys fees in Fair Employment and Housing Act claims unless the lawsuit is found to be frivolous, including litigation that predates January 1, 2019.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act application to state or municipal agencies.
November 6, 2018, U.S. Supreme Court, Mount Lemmon Fire District v. Guido: The ADEA applies to state and municipal agencies regardless of the number of employees.
Does federal case decision in favor of employee preclude state case to recover more than back pay?
November 6, 2018, First District Court of Appeal, Victor Guerrero v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Mr. Guerrero may pursue his claims for damages in state court.
Americans with Disabilities Act regarded as disabled definition.
November 1, 2018 (amended), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Herman Nunies v. HIE Holdings, Inc.: A reasonable jury could conclude that HIE terminated Mr. Nunies because of its knowledge of Mr. Nunies’ shoulder injury.
Employer subject to waiting time penalty for failing to immediately correct an employee’s accrued vacation pay check.
August 1, 2018, First District Court of Appeal, Taryn Nishiki v. Danko Meredith, APC: Ms. Nishiki filed a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner seeking vacation wages, rest period premiums, and waiting time penalties. The Labor Commissioner awarded Ms. Nishiki waiting time penalties in the amount of $4,250. Her former employer appealed the award to court, which affirmed the Labor Commissioner’s award. On appeal, Danko Meredith contended that the waiting time penalties were unwarranted because the unpaid amount of accrued vacation pay resulted from a discrepancy in the numerical amount as compared to the amount spelled out in words in a check that was not “willful.” The court agreed after finding the discrepancy was the result of a clerical error. But the First District also considered the effect of Danko Meredith’s delay in sending a corrected check after being informed by Ms. Nishiki that she could not deposit the original check. The appeals court found that Danko Meredith violated its statutory obligation to pay wages promptly by not immediately correcting the clerical error by either stopping payment on the original check and issuing a new check for the correct amount or by sending an additional check for the amount owed—instead it waited nine days to issue a new check. As a result, Ms. Nishiki was entitled to a waiting time penalty for nine days.
Non-payment of small amounts of compensable time not allowed under California law.
July 26, 2018, Supreme Court of California, Douglas Troester v. Starbucks Corporation: Upon a request by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Supreme Court of California agreed to answer the following question: Does the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) de minimis doctrine (excuse the payment of wages for small amounts of otherwise compensable time upon a showing that the bits of time are administratively difficult to record) apply to claims for unpaid wages under California Labor Code sections 510, 1194, and 1197? The California Supreme Court first determined whether California’s wage and hour statutes or regulations have adopted the de minimis doctrine found in the FLSA. Its answer was no. Next, the high court decided whether the de minimis principle nevertheless applies to wage and hour claims. It concluded that the relevant wage order and statutes do not permit application of the de minimis rule on the facts given, where the employer required the employee to work “off the clock” several minutes per shift. It did not decide whether there are circumstances where compensable time is so minute or irregular that it is unreasonable to expect the time to be recorded.

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