California Supreme Court Hands Whistleblowers Huge Victory
Today, the California Supreme Court handed whistleblower-employees a resounding victory for claims brought under California Labor Code section 1102.5. California Labor Code section 1102.5 gives employees protection against retaliation for disclosing their suspicions of illegal conduct in the workplace to their employer and/or authorities. And, after today’s decision, Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., 2022 WL 244731 (Cal. Jan. 27, 2022), the California Supreme Court makes clear that employees who are fired for multiple reasons need only show that it was more likely than not that at least one of
BuzzFeed Reports on Multiple Lawsuits Against Unruly Agency Including Workers Represented by Courtney Abrams, PC
Buzzfeed reported today that “A growing chorus of clients and current and former workers at the social media management company Unruly” including multiple clients represented by Courtney Abrams, PC “say the agency has engaged in deceptive recruitment practices that locked them into agreements threatening six-figure penalties for contract breaches and handing over expansive control of their personal lives, while demanding work they hadn’t realized they’d signed up for and, in some cases, publishing nude images of them without their consent.” Reporting specifically about the lawsuit being prosecuted by Courtney Abrams,
Courtney Abrams, PC and Helmer Friedman LLP Sue Unruly Agency for Employment Law Violations
November 10, 2021 (Los Angeles, California) – Courtney Abrams of Courtney Abrams, PC & Andrew H. Friedman of Helmer Friedman LLP, announced today the filing of a lawsuit against Unruly Agency Limited Liability Company and its owners Tara Niknejad and Nicky Gathrite. The lawsuit, Elizabeth Machabeli & Jane Doe v. Unruly Agency Limited Liability Company, Tara Niknejad, and Nicky Gathrite (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 21STCV41395), alleges that Unruly Agency, which represents scores of “models” who sell content on OnlyFans, and its owners Tara Niknejad and Nicky Gathrite, misclassified
Paid Maternity Leave Non-Existent in U.S.
The New York Times reported last week that the United States is one of just six countries without any national paid maternity leave. And, although Congress is now considering four weeks of paid family and medical leave – a law which would include maternity leave – it is a pathetic amount by any measure. Predictably, there is evidence that shorter periods of maternity leave can lead to childhood developmental delays and sickness. Studies also reveal that maternity leave less than 11 weeks does not meet basic maternal needs. Unsurprisingly, mothers
Employment Arbitration Rigged System of “Justice”
Confirming my long-held belief that arbitration is a totally rigged system of “justice,” the Washington Post reported today that in employment arbitrations during 2020, employees were awarded damages just 1.6 percent of the time. During this same time period, forced employment arbitrations skyrocketed. Employment arbitration is a confidential and binding process in which companies force employees to have their claims heard. The employee’s case is determined, not by a jury or a judge, but by a biased third party (an “arbitrator”). In California, that arbitrator is bought-and-paid-for by the employer.
Biden Administration Reaffirms Right to Paternity Leave
On Tuesday, Jen Psaki, political advisor to President Biden, defended Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s unequivocal right to paternity leave. She also reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to leave for new parents across the country after the birth of their children. Ms. Psaki was firm: They should have this time to bond with their children, [we’re] not going to apologize for that . . . .” In California, under the California Family Rights Act, you are entitled to paternity leave if: You work for a company with 5 or more employees;
