Sexual harassment can now be classified as a hate crime. According to a recent ruling in the matter of Ventura v. ABM Industries Incorporated, the California Court of Appeal upheld upheld a lower court’s verdict, concluding that “hate is not an element” in determining whether the section of the Ralph Act (Civil Code § 51.7) […]
In a highly anticipated decision last week, the California Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Harris v. City of Santa Monica. Terminated a mere eight days after informing her employer that she was pregnant, Ms. Harris sued the City of Santa Monica for pregnancy discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). In […]
Whistleblowers tend to get a bad rap in this country and around the world. From the employers exposed by their refusal to stand idly by to a media culture that tends to view them as traitors or worse, whistleblowers face an uphill battle as soon as they resolve to break the silence. Instead of being […]
It’s officially 2013. And as the resolution-making (and breaking) season comes into full swing across the country and around the world, the State of California is ringing in the New Year with its own tradition – new legal protections for employees. Officially taking effect on this, the first day of 2013, these new laws offer […]
For those who were unsure whether federal employment law extends to domestic violence victims, a new Q&A fact sheet from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may provide some clarity. Released in October, the brief publication explains that both Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) “may apply to employment situations involving applicants […]
You know what they say: All good things take time. After 13 years of groups lobbying on behalf of vulnerable workers who might blow the whistle on their federal employers, President Obama signed a bill into law meant to alleviate that longstanding concern. In addition to creating newer, wider protections for federal employees, the Whistleblower […]
Attorney Robert Fordiani is currently representing former Positive Resource Center (PRC) attorney Jane Gelfand in a whistleblower retaliation case. After bringing the non-profit agency’s attention to a potentially harmful contract involving the agency’s Ticket to Work program, Gelfand maintains that she was constructively terminated as a result of her concern for her clients. Meanwhile, PRC […]
Representing a former operating nurse for ValleyCare Health Systems, Mr. Organ worked to secure a decisive verdict in a whistleblower case that would serve to expand employee rights in the future. Resigning in distress after reporting numerous patient safety and state regulatory violations to hospital managers, 15-year veteran Kristeen Klaas filed a lawsuit against the […]
In a landmark case, Mr. Organ represented a reservist in the first-ever discrimination lawsuit in California to be brought against an employer for discriminating against an employee due to his military status. In the first case of its kind in the state of California, Army Reserve Captain Steve Lively filed a discrimination lawsuit against his […]
After the California legislature passed and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB1825, requiring supervisors in the state to receive sexual harassment training every two years, Mr. Organ was consulted by the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the effects of the new law. The bill, which applies to companies that employ 50 or more workers, was said […]