A criminal case filed in King County Superior Court demonstrates the consequences faced by an employee who takes company documents without permission. Gerald Eastman, an 18-year employee and former quality assurance inspector for Boeing, is on trial facing 16 felony counts of “computer trespass.” According to published reports, in 2002, Eastman filed a 400-page complaint… Read More
Employment Blog
Here you can find the most recent employment law news and commentary on cases around the country. If you need assistance with employment law, don't hesitate to call us.
Court: Subjective Hiring Process Permitted Racial Bias
A recent case in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals demonstrates how discretionary decision-making can lead to employment discrimination claims. David Dunlap sued his employer for race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Dunlap had 20 years of experience as a boilermaker and boilermaker foreman. He was one of 21… Read More
FLSA Misclassification and Overtime in Retail Jobs
C.R. Wright of Fisher & Phillips LLP recently posted this useful article on Fair Labor Standards Act litigation in retail jobs. The article notes a huge increase in overtime cases under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws. (Indeed, many such cases have been filed here in Washington, including one that… Read More
Wage Class Action Settled for $5.25 Million
The City of Colorado Springs agreed to pay police officers $5.25 Million in a wage and hour class action lawsuit. The suit concerned the classification of Sergeants as exempt employees under overtime laws and the time spent by police officers before and after their scheduled shifts — off-the-clock “donning and doffing” activities. Articles about the… Read More
4,000 Nurses On Strike in San Francisco
Nurses at eight Sutter Health Hospitals in the Bay Area started a 10-day strike on Friday, their third walk-out in six months. The nurses and the hospitals are at loggerheads in negotiations over healthcare, pensions, meal and break periods, and safe lifting policies. The hospitals have brought in replacement nurses from other states. Some articles… Read More
Starbucks Baristas Awarded $106 Million for Wage Claims
Last week, we wrote about the wage claim class action concerning the tip jar at Starbucks stores in California. A class of an estimated 120,000 Starbucks baristas requested pay for their fair share of money from the tip jar. The court has awarded $105 million. The suit alleged that store managers and supervisors shared in… Read More
Aging Workforce Likely To Increase Age Discrimination Claims and Change Retirement Plans
Within 20 years, nearly 20% of Americans, 71 million people, will be age 65 or older. Thanks to the baby boomers, America is getting older and doing so at a rapid rate. Recently, a federal task force published a report addressing the aging of the American workforce. The task force was comprised of representatives from… Read More
Sexism at Work
Lis Wiehl is an author, TV Legal Analyst, and law professor who started her career at my favorite former law firm in Seattle. Wiehl says that recent court decisions are worrisome for supporters of women’s rights in the workplace and that sexism still exists. She cites the following as examples: (1) a $1 million verdict in… Read More
HIPAA and Britney Spears
We could not pass up an opportunity to mention Britney Spears here on our blog. As reported in this article, UCLA Medical Center is imposing discipline against 13 employees who looked at Britney’s medical records without permission. This seems to be a trend. As reported here, 27 employees at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen,… Read More
$2 Million Verdict in Retaliation Case
Earlier this week, a jury in Connecticut returned a $2 million verdict for the plaintiff in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. A school principal argued that she was retaliated against after reporting that two teachers had abused minority students. What is interesting about the case is the size of the verdict in light of the… Read More