Employees Are Not Entitled to Multi-Month, Indefinite Medical Leaves of Absences California employers can breathe a sigh of relief in light of a recent decision from the Southern District Court of California. In Ruiz v. Paradigmworks Group, Inc., the court held that an employer is not required to extend an employee’s “multi-month” medical leave of […]

Employer Not Liable for $5 Million Punitive Damages Award The case of Leggins v. Rite Aid Corporation is an example of how courts can rein in an extravagant jury award. Leggins was a store manager for Rite Aid for 25 years. He suffered serious injuries to his neck and shoulders after being attacked during a […]

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reminds Employers Just How Costly Retaliation Claims Can Be After a nine-day jury trial, an employer, a current supervisor, and several of its former supervisors, were ordered to pay three employees $6.6 million for race-based discrimination and retaliation for filing administrative complaints about the discrimination. The case, Flores v. […]

In California, Not All Arbitration Agreements Are Enforceable Arbitration agreements can be an excellent tool for managing exposure to costly litigation and the unwanted publicity associated with employment-related lawsuits. Unfortunately, arbitration agreements between employers and employees are not ironclad, and California courts often refuse to enforce them. A recent case serves as an important reminder […]

Sexually Assaulted Employee Can Recover Damages from Employer Under FEHA, in Addition to Workers’ Compensation Recovery, for Sexual Harassment by a Nonemployee Trespasser In M.F. v. Pacific Pearl Hotel Management LLC (2017) 16 Cal.App.5th 693, a California Court of Appeal ruled that workers’ compensation benefits may not be the exclusive remedy for an employee who […]

California Supreme Court Issues Important Guidance on Computing Overtime Under California law, overtime pay is based on an employee’s “regular rate of pay,” which is not necessarily an employee’s regular hourly wage. This is because an employee’s “regular rate of pay” includes all forms of compensation that an employee receives, e.g., production bonuses. As a […]