Labor Law

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By:  Brendan J. Begley

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law earlier this month the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, AB 1964, a bill that expands the prohibition against religious discrimination by employers. This new law mandates that workers receive equal protection despite their religious beliefs or appearance while protecting those who wear religious attire. The bill reportedly was numbered after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a series of federal statutes that were among the first to outlaw employment discrimination in the United States.Continue Reading New Law Requires Rethinking Dress Codes and Religious Accommodations for Employees

It is 6am and I am on my way to the San Francisco Bay Area for a deposition. I stop at my favorite Starbucks for a boost. The barista’s are always helpful and courteous. However, do I really need to be faced with the modern day equivalent of the 1980s TGI Friday’s server? According to one Court I may have to endure that and be the unwitting target of union propaganda at the same time. The good news at least is that a recent federal appeals court held that there will not be more than one pro-union pin on the uniform. So at least my favorite coffee house won’t begin to resemble anyone of a dozen state office buildings, full of workers that look like they are headed to a pin trading convention at Disneyland, rather than another day’s work on behalf of the State’s citizens.
Continue Reading Employee Flare: I Will Have a Venti, Half-Caf., Cappuccino – Hold the Union Propaganda

By:   Lizbeth V. West, Esq.

On September 7, 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued an opinion in Costco Wholesale Corp. v. NLRB. The case is an important one for all employers (regardless of whether their employees are union or non-union). It deals with the NLRB’s continuing focus on what it believes to be over-reaching employment policies that violate Section 7 and/or 8 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). In fact, in the last 12 months, the NLRB’s Acting General Counsel has issued three reports on the issue. Continue Reading DO YOUR EMPLOYMENT POLICIES VIOLATE THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT? You’d Be Surprised – But They Very Likely Do!