Exercising Your Rights to Religious and Federal Holidays from Work
Religious holidays Taking time off work for religious holidays can be a complicated matter, as it often involves balancing the needs and obligations of one’s faith with the requirements and expectations of one’s job. In the United States, federal law provides certain protections for employees who need to take time off for religious observances. The […]
Boston Market Restaurant Employees Win Class Certification
On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, a California judge granted certification of a class of hourly restaurant employees who allege improper wage and hour practices at Boston Market Corporation restaurant locations in California. Boston Market Corporation is a fast casual restaurant chain specializing in rotisserie chicken meals. During the relevant time period, Boston Market Corporation operated […]
What Is Quiet Firing and Is It Legal?
If you have opened a social media app in the last few years, you have undoubtedly heard the term “quiet quitting.” This viral term is used by employers and employees alike to describe putting in the bare minimum effort at one’s job. More recently, the term “quiet firing” has been trending, drawing attention to employers […]
Facing Failure to Hire Discrimination
Could you be a victim of failure to hire? Finding the right candidate can be challenging for employers, but some companies employ unfair hiring practices as they assess and interview applicants. Fortunately, both federal and state protections exist to shield workers from discriminatory practices during and after the interview process. Review the facts about failure […]
California Mental Health Accommodations in the Workplace
Individuals from all backgrounds and experiences should be able to fully participate in all aspects of society, including employment. Many state and federal laws uphold this principle. And when it comes to individuals with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) were enacted to help ensure […]
California Pregnancy and Maternity Leave Laws: Your Rights Explained
New parenthood can be exhilarating, but it can also make everyday activities more challenging, including work obligations. If you are a new or expecting parent, you deserve to rest. California maternity leave laws protect your right to take much-needed rest associated with pregnancy or welcoming a new child into your household. If you need maternity […]
How To Know if You Need a Wrongful Termination Lawyer
When you’ve been unjustly fired from your place of employment, you may feel a lot of powerful emotions: anger at the injustice, disappointment in your employer, and insecurity about the future. Federal and state laws offer employee protections in these circumstances, but navigating the process can seem overwhelming. A wrongful termination lawyer can help you […]
Is Your Male Colleague Paid More for the Same Work?
The federal and California Equal Pay Acts require that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. Despite this requirement, women working full-time, year-round only make 83 cents for every dollar men make. When all workers are considered, including those working part-time, the gap increases to 73 cents on […]
Were You Affected by Hiring Discrimination in California?
Federal and state laws provide protection against workplace discrimination for both current and prospective employees. Failure to hire is a type of discrimination that occurs during the hiring process when someone does not receive a job offer because they belong to a protected class. The Federal Equal Opportunity Commission enforces the various federal laws establishing […]
I AM my Hair!
A Discussion of Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination and How the CROWN Act is a Necessary Response A person’s hairstyle can say a lot without them uttering a single word. Women, predominantly Black American women and children, face race-based hairstyle discrimination in the workplace, school, housing and in public in general solely based on their natural, inherited […]
Speaking Up
Attorneys at Matern Law Group are Passionate About Providing a Voice for Employees By Shane Nelson Special to the Daily Journal About a year ago, longtime employment litigator Matthew J. Matern started hosting a weekly radio show on KABC in Los Angeles, discussing social issues and politics with activists, authors and California state officials. […]
Tesla Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Filed by Matern Law Group
Shanel Dickson was the only African-American and the only female on her solar roofing crew. In July 2021, her Caucasian supervisor began calling her “nigga” and made other derogatory racial and sexual comments. She was also denied work duties and privileges that were afforded to men. Inside the warehouse was no better. On one occasion, […]
Matern Law Group Attorneys Selected to the California Super Lawyers List Yet Again!
We are pleased to announce that five attorneys at Matern Law Group have been selected to the 2022 California Super Lawyers list. Launa Adolph, Josh Boxer, Scott Brooks, Mikael Stahle and Matt Matern have all been selected to the list this year. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state […]
MLG Wins Sexual Harassment Verdict Against Famous Dave’s
Matern Law Group: $445,000 Sexual Harassment Verdict Against Owners of Famous Dave’s Restaurants December 8, 2021 A Los Angeles County jury awarded an ex Famous Dave’s employee $345,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages on Tuesday. During a two-week long trial, Ana Villaseñor, a former hostess, and her coworkers testified about a work […]
“Million Dollar Baby” – Pregnant Worker Files Discrimination Lawsuit against Zendesk
September 29, 2021 “We call your baby the million-dollar baby because you lost out on a million dollars of wages since you took a full maternity leave,” chided Zendesk Director Matt Ingebrigtsen on a team video conference. This was just one of many harassing comments hurled at his female subordinate after learning that she was […]
COVID-19 and Employment Law Developments
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in our lives and workplaces. And with those changes have come new regulations. Cities, counties, states, and the federal government have put out new rules and guidelines that govern how workers and employers interact. But, given the frequent updates and number of regulations, it can be overwhelming to […]
MLG – Employment Law Newsletter – August 2021
Matern Law Group Spotlight This quarter we’re shining the spotlight on one of the first attorneys to join Matern Law Group, Tagore Subramaniam, selected to the Southern California Rising Stars list from 2016 -2021 and the Up and Coming 100 list, from 2018 – 2021. I recently sat down with Tagore to find out a […]
What is California Equal Pay? Who Does it Include?
Did you know that pay disparities cause working women in California to lose over $33 billion each year?1 This problem is even worse for women of color. In 2015, Governor Brown noted that, “Sixty-six years after passage of the California Equal Pay Act, many women still earn less money than men doing the same or […]
Meal Period Length Threatens Employee Wellbeing
The California supreme court recently decided on two important wage and hour issues in Donohue v AMN Services, LLC. First, the court decided on whether rounding time punches for meal periods is permissible under California law. Secondly, the court decided on whether a rebuttable presumption of meal period violations arises at summary judgement if time […]
What is a Qui Tam Lawsuit, and How Does it Apply to an Employee?
What is a qui tam Lawsuit? The term “qui tam” (pronounced kee-tam) finds its origin in a Latin phrase that roughly means “who as well for the king as for himself sues in this matter.” The term describes a cause of action where a private citizen, also known as a “whistleblower” or “relator,” brings a […]
Proposition 22 (Prop. 22) & Gig Worker Classification
In November, Californians voted in favor of Proposition 22 (Prop. 22), a measure which classified gig workers as independent contractors. Prop. 22 was met with controversy from those who argued that it would negatively impact workers. What can we expect its impact to be? Worker classification is a hot topic in employment law, especially with […]
3M, Workers Get Initial OK For $1.5M Settlement In Wage Case Concerning Unlawful Pay Practices
Read a story featured in Law360‘s Employment Authority service on the 3M litigation involving unlawful pay practices: Matthew Matern, Launa Adolph, and Kayvon Sabourian from Matern Law Group, PC. The article is linked below. “Law360 (March 10, 2021, 5:42 PM EST) — A California federal judge has preliminarily approved a $1.5 million settlement between 3M […]
Employment Law – Legislative Roundup
Drama and suspense ran high as lawmakers worked through the weekend until midnight last month to meet the August 31st deadline and pass bills for this year’s legislative cycle. Last-minute negotiations resulted in promising movement on important workers’ rights issues, including compensation, paid sick days, and family leave, but also gave rise to counter-measures from […]
Undocumented Farmworkers in the Time of COVID-19
As Americans shelter in place, washing hands and staying six feet away from each other, farmworkers carpool to get groceries then retreat to cramped, crowded quarters, sleeping several to a room. They are not coronavirus deniers: The pandemic terrifies them. They simply have no choice; are compelled to work yet feel disposable. Two-thirds of the […]