California’s WARN Act: Protecting Your Rights in Plant Closures and Mass Layoffs

California's WARN Act

  Layoffs and plant closures can bring immense stress and uncertainty in their wake, leaving California workers worried about their financial stability and future. For many, the lack of warning can be overwhelming, as it often entails a sudden loss of income and significant life changes. Matern Law Group, a leading plaintiff-side employment law firm, […]

Navigating Workplace Disabilities in California

california workplace disabilities lawyers

Navigating Workplace Disabilities in California: Your Rights and Protections In California, the pursuit of workplace diversity and inclusivity is deeply ingrained in the state’s employment laws. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) are pivotal pieces of legislation that mandate equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. In […]

Rest Breaks for Workers in California

california missed meal breaks & rest breaks lawyers

Rest breaks for workers in California: What you need to know In California, employees are entitled to rest breaks and meal breaks under the state’s wage and hour laws. These laws are enforced by the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).[1] Employees are entitled to one paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours […]

The True Significance of the 4th of July for Workers

independence day 4th of july 2023

As we prepare for the 4th of July in California, here’s a reminder of what the holiday is all about, the history behind it, and the impacts it has had on workers. Originally known as Independence Day, this holiday is dedicated to commemorating the United States’ independence from Great Britain in 1776. However, most people […]

Celebrating Pride Month: Advancing Workplace Equality for the LGBTQ+ Community

celebrating pride month lgbtq+ community and lgbtq+ employees

Pride Month is an annual celebration that honors the LGBTQ+ community’s achievements and promotes the ongoing fight for equality. While significant progress has been made over the years, there are still challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in the workplace. Matern Law Group, a leading employment law firm representing plaintiffs in California, stands strong in […]

Save Mart Supermarkets Class Action Lawsuit

Save Mart Class Action Lawsuit

Save Mart Supermarkets is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that it illegally terminated health benefits for retirees and their spouses. The lawsuit alleges that Save Mart breached its fiduciary duty in April 2022 when it decided to stop paying $500 monthly health reimbursements to the retirees and their spouses, despite having previously represented the […]

Equal Pay Day & The Equal Pay Act

equal pay day

Equal Pay Day Equal Pay Day is an annual event that highlights the ongoing wage gap between men and women. It is observed in the United States and other countries around the world on different dates each year, depending on how long it takes women to earn the same amount of money that men earned […]

Boston Market Restaurant Employees Win Class Certification

California Missed Meal & Rest Break Class Action Lawyers

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 […]

Facing Failure to Hire Discrimination

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 […]

How To Know if You Need a Wrongful Termination Lawyer

California Wrongful Termination Lawyers

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 […]

I AM my Hair!

California Hair Discrimination Crown Act

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 […]

Tesla Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Filed by Matern Law Group

Tesla Solar Roof Discrimination Lawsuit 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, […]

MLG Wins Sexual Harassment Verdict Against Famous Dave’s

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 […]

Sexual Harassment in the Remote Workplace

California Online Work Sexual Harassment

The shift to remote operations over the past year and a half has reshaped work. Remote work has a great many advantages—most importantly, keeping workers and their families safe from the threat of COVID-19; but also increasing flexibility, productivity, and focus. As workers adapted to this new reality, however, problems found in the office continued […]

COVID-19 and Employment Law Developments

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 […]

What is California Equal Pay? Who Does it Include?

California Equal Pay Laws

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 […]

Proposition 22 (Prop. 22) & Gig Worker Classification

independent contractor laws for gig workers

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 […]

Taco Bell Employee Wins Arbitration Important Victory For Working People

Taco Bell Logo

November 9, 2016 In an important victory for workers’ rights, the California Court of Appeals refused to order a fast-food worker to arbitrate his wage and hour claims against a Taco Bell franchisee, Century Fast Foods. Attorneys from Matern Law Group, PC argued that an arbitration agreement, like any agreement, requires the mutual assent of […]