People with disabilities enjoy certain workplace protections — but is obesity really a disability in California? Actually, it depends. An appellate court’s ruling on a recent case laid out the conditions under which obesity can be considered a disability. Employers need to take note and adjust their…
If the customer is always right, does that mean anything goes? Do you, as an employee of whatever enterprise that puts you in the public’s path, simply have to suffer whatever bad and boorish behavior a customer wants to dish your way? Absolutely not. When a customer’s…
Every job has risks of some sort — but some are far more dangerous than others. For those occupations, certain protective measures have to be taken to ensure that workers can operate with at least some sense of personal safety. What can you do, however, when your…
In an eye-opening wrongful termination lawsuit against the luxury retailer Moschino, a former employee of its West Hollywood location alleges that her manager pulled out all the stops when it came to showing her racial biases. The employee, a black woman of Haitian descent, details some startling…
Some disabilities are obvious to the world — while others are very much “hidden” conditions that observers can’t automatically discern just by looking at someone. Psychiatric disabilities often fall into that category of “hidden” conditions. Consequently, the people who suffer from them are often uncertain about when…
Whether you’re an employee working in California or you happen to employ others for your business in the state, it’s important to know that there are some significant legal changes that go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. Sexual harassment is being addressed in several ways in the…
Let’s be perfectly clear: You can’t go around recording private conversations without permission, so don’t start trying to catch sexual harassment on film unless you’re completely sure it’s legal to record. That being said — you may not have to deliberately try to catch a harasser in…
There’s a big difference between a bad boss and one that is acting illegally. It’s important to know the difference before you decide that you’re going to quit and sue. There’s no law that says an employer has to be a nice person or even treat his…
What exactly is “colorism” in the workplace? While racism is a topic that frequently hits the news, not much is said about colorism. Yet, colorism can be just as pervasive — and may affect darker-skinned people just as much — as racism. Colorism is discrimination based on…
You sense an uncomfortableness in the workplace, but you think you’re just being paranoid. Or, maybe, it’s just what you think it is. You’re being sexually harassed on the job. Sexual harassment isn’t always obvious but there are telltale signs to watch for. If you’re a victim,…
