By:       Brendan J. Begley

A federal appellate court this week upheld an attorney-fee award of nearly $700,000 to a California employee who won less than $28,000 in damages in a lawsuit alleging wrongful demotion.  According to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Muniz v. United Parcel Service, Inc., Case No. 11-17282, the trial court was not required to reduce the large disparity between the damages and the fees. Continue Reading Attorney Fees Continue to be the 800-Pound Gorilla in Employment Cases

Governor Brown recently signed into law AB 2674, imposing new requirements on how and when employers respond to employees’ requests for inspection and copying of their personnel files.
Continue Reading Changes to Procedures and Timing for Providing Employee Personnel Records Under Labor Code § 1198.5

By:   Brendan J. Begley

Now that the first presidential debate has taken place, and as the country heads into the last month of campaigning in this election year, employers should make certain that their personnel policies properly address political activities in the workplace. Such policies should require managers, supervisors, and employees to show respect across political-party lines to avoid internal conflicts. Having and enforcing such policies also may help to diminish the risk of alienating customers who otherwise might find themselves confronted with competing political philosophies when visiting an employer’s establishment.Continue Reading Don’t Let Political Debates Disrupt Workplace Goals