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California Protects Warehouse Employees Against Unfair Labor Practices

California issues new legislation for warehouse distribution centers.

The on-going feud between state governments and big tech companies intensified on September 22, 2021 when California Governor Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 701 (A.B. 701), making California the first state to impose regulations on companies that require warehouse distribution center employees to meet unfair productivity quotas. A.B. 701 - the Warehouse Distribution Centers Bill - amends the California Labor Code to include new provisions taking aim at companies like Amazon that implement unfair labor practices that exploit employees in order to fulfill delivery orders. A.B. 701 also prevents job seekers from being discriminated against when applying for or pursuing a different job if the job applicant filed to receive worker’s comp benefits during prior employment.

What is A.B. 701?

Generally, the purpose of California Assembly Bill 701 (A.B. 701) is to protect warehouse distribution center employees against impending job loss for failing to meet employer established productivity quotas. The author of the new law, California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez states, “worker’s aren’t machines. We’re not going to allow a corporation that puts profits over worker’s bodies to set labor standards back decades just for same-day delivery.” The new law will protect both current and former workers employed at a warehouse distribution center.

What is a productivity quota?

A.B. 701 defines quota as a work standard under which an employee is assigned or required to perform at the specified productivity speed or perform a quantified number of tasks, or to handle or produce a quantified amount of material, within a defined time period and under which the employee may suffer an adverse employment action if they fail to complete the performance standard.

Essentially, a quota is created by the employer or company of which the employee is responsible to meet. The quota consists of the number of tasks the employee is expected to complete within a certain amount of time. The problem arises when the quota is unfair, yet employees are still expected to perform tasks to complete the quota, and if the employee cannot do so, then the employee may experience an adverse employment action.

What is an adverse employment action?

In California, an adverse employment action is viewed as any type of retaliatory action taken by an employer that is reasonably likely to have a negative effect on an employee’s job performance, opportunities for a promotion, or ability to seek employment elsewhere. The most common examples of an adverse employment action are job loss or termination, reduced wages, and demotion to a lower employment position or job title.

What changes will happen because of A.B. 701?

Currently, companies like Amazon are not held accountable for providing employees with adequate notice of their productivity quotas and the adverse employment actions that may occur for failing to meet those quotas. A.B. 701 requires companies to provide more transparency to warehouse distribution center employees. For example, the bill provides greater protections to warehouse distribution center employees in the following ways:

  • Employers must provide adequate notice to every existing and new employee in writing describing each quota the employee is responsible to meet;
  • Employers must provide notice to all employees in writing of any adverse employment actions that may result from failing to meet a quota;
  • Employees will not be required to meet a quota that violates the employee’s right to meal and rest or break time, including using the bathroom;
  • Employers are prohibited from taking any adverse employment action against an employee for not meeting a quota if the quota violates the employee’s right to meal and rest or break time, including using the bathroom;
  • Employees must receive productive time credit towards any quota for actions taken by the employee to comply with California’s health and safety laws for the workplace;
  • Employees may receive productive time credit towards any quota during meals and rest or break time if the employee is required to be on call during those times;
  • Current and former employees have the right to request a written description of each quota and a copy of the most recent 90 days of the employee’s performance towards meeting the quota if the employee believes the company created a quota that violates the employee’s right to meals and rest or break time.

Another key component of the new law is that employees will have the ability to file a lawsuit for injunctive relief to obtain court ordered compliance with the law against employers and companies. Employees that are successful in the lawsuit for injunctive relief may be awarded suspension of the unfair quota, the court may reverse an unlawful termination of the employee for not meeting a quota that violated the employee’s labor rights, the employer and company may be ordered to cover the employee’s costs and attorney’s fees for filing the lawsuit. Each case will depend on the specific facts, so it is important to consult with an experienced labor law attorney to assess the specifics of your case.

A.B. 701 is scheduled to take effect in California on January 1, 2022.

Free Consultation

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is experienced in all aspects of employment law including Warehouse Employee related health and safety violations in the workplace, and have aggressively represented employees in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra.

If you or someone you know suffered employment violations, you may have certain employee rights under state and federal law, and may be entitled to compensation as a part of a class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our lawyers for a free consultation.

 


A gavel and a name plate with the engraving COVID-19

Update on COVID-19 Related Legal Issues

COVID-19 related lawsuits are increasing as the pandemic continues.

The scope of COVID-19 related lawsuits continues to expand as workers across the country are filing lawsuits seeking protection and damages from unfair labor practices. Moreover, there is a sense that more cases will be filed as more employees are impacted by the pandemic and businesses close, sometimes with little or no notice to soon-to-be unemployed workers.

Congress enacts the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

In March 2020, when Congress realized that a shut-down was imminent, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which requires certain employers to offer employees paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for COVID-19 related reasons. Employees must have been employed for at least 30 days to benefit from FFCRA.

In general, the FFCRA provides for two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave with regular pay if the employee is unable to work due to quarantine, or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Also, under the FFCRA, if an employee is unable to work due to the need to provide care for another individual under quarantine, or if their child’s school or child care provider closes due to COVID-19, the employee is allowed two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at two-thirds regular pay.

When an employee is unable to work in order to provide child care due to schools or child care being closed, employees are eligible for an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds regular pay.

Shortly after the FFCRA was enacted, a federal lawsuit was filed by an Eastern Airlines executive alleging she was fired after she requested time off under the FFCRA. According to the plaintiff, a single mother, she requested two hours of paid time off each day in order to care for her son, whose school was closed due to the pandemic. On the surface, it appears that the FFCRA was enacted to provide assistance to working parents such as the plaintiff in the midst of the pandemic. In this case, however, Eastern Airlines contends that the former employee was terminated on March 27, 2020, prior to the FFCRA taking effect on April 1, 2020.

COVID-19 and the ADA

Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has provided significant protection to persons with disabilities in the workplace as well as society in general. One key aspect of the ADA is the requirement that employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would result in undue hardship to the employer. This requirement is quite broad and, for example, protects potential employees during the hiring and training process.

What constitutes a reasonable accommodation depends on the nature of the employee’s disability, the necessary duties of the job, the physical workplace and hardship (if any) to the employer. As a result of COVID-19, however, courts have been asked to consider how COVID-19 impacts established law and perhaps the need to re-interpret the meaning of reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

In June 2020, an engineer filed a lawsuit against his employer alleging discrimination in violation of the Massachusetts state ADA. In March, the employee was allowed to work from home in light of a state “stay at home” order. In April, his employer requested that he return to the office for work, but the employee requested he be allowed to continue to work remotely. The employee, who has high blood pressure and cares for his elderly mother, argues that he is at high risk of serious illness if he contracts COVID-19. He also fears transmitting the disease to his elderly mother who suffers from multiple medical conditions that place her at high risk. When his request for a reasonable accommodation, specifically to work remotely, was denied, he refused to return to the office, and was terminated.

Prior to the pandemic, courts did not consider a request to work remotely to be a reasonable accommodation. However, with increased health risks due to COVID-19, courts will be asked to re-consider whether a request to work remotely due to a heightened health risk of contracting or spreading the virus is a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

More broadly, attorneys are using novel legal arguments in lawsuits based on the unique circumstances due to COVID-19 and the need to protect employees when current labor laws may be insufficient or simply never considered the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Lawsuits Filed after Employees Die From COVID-19

Sadly, some employees have died from COVID-19, and their families have filed lawsuits claiming that the workplace was not safe and employers failed to protect employees from the deadly virus. The key issue is whether employers followed federal and state safety guidelines, and if the employer failed to ensure proper protocols at work, they may be held liable for the death of an employee who contracted COVID-19 as a result of an unsafe workplace. Employers, however, claim that it is very difficult to prove how or where someone contracts the disease.

In one case, the family of a Safeway employee allege that the work environment was not safe because sick employees were still coming to work. Moreover, according to the lawsuit, on March 20, a memo was posted that stated, “If you are healthy, a mask will not protect you from the respiratory drops an infected person coughs out. Open areas of the mask can let those drops in.” The family filed a lawsuit after the employee tested positive for COVID-19 on April 4 and died eight days later. According to the family, Safeway failed to follow guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued on March 9 that required sick employees to be isolated.

Similar lawsuits have been filed against Walmart. In one case against a Walmart in Illinois, an employee was allegedly told to continue to work despite having symptoms, and was eventually sent home two days later when his symptoms worsened. He died two days later. Another Walmart employee in Dallas has filed a lawsuit that alleges she contracted COVID-19 because Walmart failed to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) and failed to follow health guidelines issued by health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and OSHA. As a result, she claims she contracted COVID-19 from the unsafe work environment at Walmart.

FREE CONSULTATION

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is experienced in all aspects of employment law including COVID-19 related health and safety violations in the workplace, and have aggressively represented employees in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra.

If you or someone you know suffered employment violations due to COVID-19 related health and safety violations, you may have certain employee rights under state and federal law, and may be entitled to compensation as a part of a class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our lawyers for a free consultation.


Know The Law

Know the Law. Know your Rights.

Most people eagerly await payday in order to pay rent and bills on time, or maybe to splurge a little. Getting a late paycheck, regardless of the reason, is not only frustrating, but it could be against the law. Under California labor laws, employers must pay you on time, or they are violating your rights and breaking the law.

In general, employees must be paid by a certain date depending on whether paychecks are issued every two weeks (bi-weekly) or twice a month (bi-monthly). There are some narrow exceptions that apply to certain types of employees, such as salaried monthly executives, but the vast majority of employees are protected under California Labor Code section 204(a).

California Labor Code § 204(a) (in relevant part)

Labor performed between the 1st and 15th days, inclusive, of any calendar month shall be paid for between the 16th and the 26th day of the month during which the labor was performed, and labor performed between the 16th and the last day, inclusive, of any calendar month, shall be paid for between the 1st and 10th day of the following month.

For example, if an employee is paid twice a month, the pay period is often divided into the 1st through 15 days of the month; and the 16th through the last day of the month. Under California law, employers must issue paychecks no later than the 26th of the month for the first pay period, and the 10th of the following month for the second pay period.

For employees that are paid every two weeks, or weekly, the law requires employers issue checks within seven calendar days after each pay period. Failure to issue timely paychecks could subject employers to significant penalties.  

Also, according to California Labor Code section 204(b)(1), Employees have a right to be paid for overtime by the next regular paycheck. That means if you accrue overtime during a particular pay period, those extra wages must be included in the next paycheck. Again, if your employer fails to pay you overtime wage on time, your rights have been violated and you should seek legal advice.

FREE CONSULTATION

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is experienced in all aspects of employment law including failure to receive paychecks on time and have aggressively represented employees in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra.

If you or someone you know suffered employment violations as an employee such as not receiving paychecks on times in California, you may have certain employee rights under state and federal law and may be entitled to unpaid wages, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and/or be entitled to compensation as a part of the class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our experienced lawyers for a free consultation.


Know The Law

Know the Law. Know your Rights.

California labor laws provide many protections to employees that often exceed federal labor laws. Therefore, it is important to know the various state laws designed to ensure your rights as an employee are not violated by employers. Fundamentally, labor laws and regulations are highly specific and often difficult to understand since laws are amended, enacted or repealed regularly, so it is important to consult with an experienced labor law attorney to ensure your rights are protected.

Often, employees do not realize that they have the right to timely, accurate wage statements each pay period with nine categories of information included in each wage statement. A wage statement, or pay stub, is the document an employer must provide employees every pay period that explains how the paycheck was calculated.

According to California Labor Code section 226, there are nine categories of information that must be included in every wage statement:

• gross wages

• total hours worked

• piece-rate units earned and any rate if employee is paid on a piece-rate basis

• all deductions from wages

• net wages

• dates of pay period

• employee’s name and the last four digits of social security number

• full name and address of the employer

• applicable hourly rates.

Some requirements are not required for exempt employees such as salaried employees. Additionally, section 246(h) of the California Labor Code requires employers advise employees each pay period of any paid sick leave they have accrued. While this is not specifically required on each wage statement, many employers include this information on wage statements as a matter of convenience. This information is particularly vital to any employee who seeks paid sick leave, which is guaranteed by the California Sick Paid Leave Law.

ACCURATE WAGE STATEMENTS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW

California law is clear that employers have a legal obligation to provide accurate wage statements to employees each pay period even if a third-party payroll company used. An employer who fails to comply with the law and violates an employee’s rights may face large fines and penalties, even for minor mistakes. The requirements are strict, and must be followed exactly. For example, the mandatory wage information must be on the face of the wage statement. In other words, the law is not being followed if the employee must find the required wage information on another document besides the wage statement.

In addition to possible fines and penalties, an employee has the right to file a lawsuit against the employer for “knowing and intentional” failure to comply with the law. If successful, an employee who has suffered an injury due to inaccurate or missing wage statements may be entitled to monetary damages.

FREE CONSULTATION

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is experienced in all aspects of employment law including failure to provide accurate wage statements and have aggressively represented employees in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra.

If you or someone you know suffered employment violations as an employee such as not receiving accurate wage statements in California, you may have certain employee rights under state and federal law and may be entitled to unpaid wages, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and/or be entitled to compensation as a part of the class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our experienced lawyers for a free consultation.


Know The Law

Know the Law. Know your Rights.

Are you Earning at Least the Minimum Wage Required by California Law?

Employees in California must be paid the minimum wage and are protected by law. While there are some exceptions, it is illegal for employers to pay employees less than the required minimum wage. The California state minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, so workers should be paid the higher required pay under state law. Moreover, some cities and counties have even higher minimum wages, so you should always be aware of the applicable minimum wage, as well as any increases to the minimum wage that typically occur every January 1.

California Labor Code §512(1)(a)

The minimum wage for employees fixed by the commission or by any applicable state or local law, is the minimum wage to be paid to employees, and the payment of a lower wage than the minimum so fixed is unlawful. This section does not change the applicability of local minimum wage laws to any entity.

If your employer is not paying you the minimum wage required by law, you can file a lawsuit to recover unpaid wages, interest on the wages, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs. Also, if there are many employees that are not being paid the required wage, you could be part of a class action claim against the employer.

California Labor Code § 1194

Any employee receiving less than the legal minimum wage or the legal overtime compensation applicable to such employee is entitled to recover in a civil action the unpaid balance of the full amount of such minimum wage or overtime compensation, together with costs of suit, notwithstanding any agreement to work for a lesser wage.

Also, be aware that in addition to the hours you are actually performing your job, your employer must also pay you for any additional time that your employer has control over you. For example, you are entitled to minimum wage for the time needed to change into a uniform; time on-call waiting to be called in to work; as well as time needed to pass through security between shifts. This time is covered by California labor laws, and your employer must pay you at least the minimum wage or they are breaking the law, and you may be entitled to compensation.

FREE CONSULTATION

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is experienced in all aspects of employment law including minimum and unpaid wages and have aggressively represented employees in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra.

If you or someone you know suffered employment violations as an employee such as being paid less than minimum wage in California, you may have certain employee rights under state and federal law and may be entitled to unpaid wages, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and/or be entitled to compensation as a part of the class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our experienced lawyers for a free consultation.


Srourian Law Firm Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Ruth's Chris Restaurant

Srourian Law Firm has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of former and current workers of Ruth's Chris Steak House workers. The lawsuit includes both front of house and back of house workers, including waiters, hosts, barbacks, runners, and kitchen staff for all restaurant locations in the State of California. The lawsuit alleges that Ruth's Chris violated various provisions of the California Labor Code, including failure to pay minimum wage, failure to pay overtime, failure to authorize meal breaks, failure to authorize rest breaks, failure to timely pay final paychecks, failure to provide proper paystubs, and violation of California Private Attorney General Act, among several other violations.

The lawsuit further alleges unlawful restaurant policies of denying and discouraging breaks based on providing team meals to be eaten quickly, lack of adequate resting facilities, and a requirement to keep inaccurate records of meals breaks. The lawsuit further alleges the requirement for workers to take on-duty meal breaks in violation of California leave.

SROURIAN LAW FIRM’S CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

The class action lawsuit, titled Adrian Quiroz v. Ruth's Chris Hospitality Group, Inc., is currently pending in Riverside Superior Court Case No. RIC1804127. If you worked for any Ruth's Chris location in California at any time from February 26, 2014, until the present and would like more information about this case, please call us at (310) 601-3131 or send an email to contact@slfla.com. Be sure to give your name, telephone number, and the best time to reach you, and an attorney will get back to you soon.

FREE CONSULTATION

Srourian Law Firm, with locations in Los Angeles, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Orange County is aggressively pursuing claims against MedMen, and other California cannabis dispensaries in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Orange, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Brea, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Laguna Hills, Cypress, and La Habra. If you or someone you know suffered violations of the California Labor Code in relation to their employment with a cannabis dispensary, you may be entitled to compensation as a part of the class action lawsuit. Please contact us to speak with one of our lawyers for a free consultation.