Captive Audience Meetings Banned By New California Law
As of January 1, 2025, California employers are restricted by SB 399, the California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act, from communicating certain company opinions to its workforce. Specifically, this legislation bans captive audience meetings, which have historically been used to communicate employer opinions about unionization and other political topics. Employers must now navigate these […]
California Employment Law Updates for 2025: What You Need to Know
As we enter 2025, California continues to lead the nation in workplace protections with critical updates to its employment laws. Staying informed is essential for both employees and employers navigating this evolving legal landscape. At Matern Law Group, we’re committed to helping employees understand their rights and taking action when those rights are violated. Below, […]
California’s WARN Act: Protecting Your Rights in Plant Closures and Mass Layoffs
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
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
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
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
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 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 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
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
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
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!
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
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
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 […]
Sexual Harassment in the Remote Workplace
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
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?
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
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 […]
Taco Bell Employee Wins Arbitration Important Victory For Working People
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 […]
