San Francisco Employment Law Blog

Wage theft is nothing new. Workers in California and across the country have been involved in wage and hour claims for generations, and it seems that the problem continues. Most often, reports tell of wage theft in retail, restaurants and seasonal employment, where workers make low wages and may have reasons to avoid complaining about the unfair treatment. However, wage theft by employers is not limited to mom-and-pop businesses just getting by. In fact, some of the wealthiest corporations steal from their workers.

Giants like Walmart, JP Morgan and State Farm regularly face lawsuits because of illegal wage practices. A recent report cited various reasons why businesses that can afford to pay a fair wage continue to steal from their employees. It may be that workers do not always have the support of a union to fight for their pay, and in many areas, the laws related to fair wages are not uniformly enforced.

California has finalized a new rule expanding national origin discrimination protections under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This new rule takes effect on July 1, 2018.

You may remember an incident a few months ago during which two African American men were arrested at a Starbucks. Their alleged crime? Reportedly, they were only sitting at a table waiting for a friend and had not yet ordered anything. The coffee shop’s manager called law enforcement, who arrived and took the men away in handcuffs. Like other Californians, you may have felt outraged to hear about this egregiously racist treatment of people who didn’t commit any actual crime.

NPR reports that officials from Starbucks responded by apologizing and settling with the men out of court. They also offered to pay for their college educations and reported that the manager is no longer working for the coffee chain. What else did the company do to address racist attitudes at work, you may wonder?

Having a disability affects numerous people in California and other parts of the country. However, this aspect of a person's life does not necessary hold him or her back from being able to lead a typical life, including holding a job. Employers may need to make certain accommodations for workers with disabilities, and in the event of workplace discrimination, employees may need to take legal action.

It was recently reported that a doctor in another state was awarded damages after being dismissed from his job. Apparently, the doctor had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the time of birth, but he was able to carry out his necessary job-related duties with provided accommodations. It was unclear what caused the man to believe that his disability contributed to his termination, but the lawsuit filed against the medical facility states disability discrimination as part of the claim.