Tipped workers in restaurants, hotels, bars, and other service industries often have little visibility into how their wages are calculated — and some employers take advantage of that opacity to pay less than the law requires. In many states, employers are permitted to...
Losing a job is difficult under any circumstances, but when a termination follows closely on the heels of disclosing a serious medical diagnosis, the timing raises serious legal questions. California law provides robust protections for workers with medical conditions,...
Filing a complaint with human resources takes courage, and workers who do so are entitled to protection from retaliation under California law. Unfortunately, retaliation doesn’t always arrive in obvious forms like termination or demotion. A reduction in hours is...
Workplace harassment takes many forms, and some of the most serious involve a supervisor using their authority over scheduling, assignments, or other employment conditions to pressure workers into accepting offensive or abusive behavior. When a supervisor ties...
Managing a chronic health condition while maintaining employment is already a significant challenge. When an employer compounds that difficulty by denying intermittent leave, the consequences can be severe — missed medical appointments, worsening health, disciplinary...
Layoffs are a legal and common business practice, but they become unlawful when age is a factor in determining who gets cut. Employers rarely announce that older workers are being targeted — the selection is typically dressed up in neutral language about performance,...
Auto body technicians work with some of the most hazardous chemicals found in any occupational setting, and isocyanates — the reactive compounds found in many modern automotive paints and clear coats — rank among the most dangerous. Inhalation of isocyanate vapors...
Dental hygienists spend the majority of their working hours performing precise, repetitive hand motions — scaling, root planing, probing, and polishing — that place consistent strain on the wrists, hands, and forearms. Over time, that cumulative stress can lead to...
Forklifts are among the most hazardous pieces of equipment in any warehouse, distribution center, or manufacturing facility, and crush injuries from unstable or improperly loaded pallet loads are a serious and recurring cause of worker harm. When a load shifts, tips,...
For musicians, sound engineers, and audio technicians, exposure to high-decibel sound is simply part of the job. Night after night, these workers operate in environments where noise levels routinely exceed the thresholds that cause permanent hearing damage. Over time,...
