Under California law, an employer may not terminate an employee’s employment because of the employee’s disability. The question is: what qualifies as a “disability” under California law? According to a California Court of Appeal case, pain and numbness alone do not...
Exclusively Employment Law
Discrimination
In the News: Pregnancy Discrimination and Miscarriages
According to The New York Times, women in physically demanding jobs are subjected to pregnancy discrimination and many times suffer miscarriages as a result. The article details the plight of several women who work in warehouses, which "are among the fastest growing...
In the News: EEOC Sues Cooking Round the World for Disability Discrimination
In a recent lawsuit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") charges that after-school camp Cooking Round the World violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") "when it relieved an employee of her duties after she tested positive for...
In the News: African-American Firefighters Continue to Face Racism
In The New York Times Opinion section today, Addington Stewart, president of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, writes: "I’ve served 35 years as a firefighter, and the racism today is as bad as I can remember. My organization, the...
In the News: Female Surgeons and Pregnancy Discrimination
According to Reuters, a U.S. study suggests that “[w]omen training for careers in surgery are more likely to abandon the profession when they experience pregnancy discrimination or have insufficient time for maternity leave.” Read the full article, entitled “Pregnancy...
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a Disability under California Law
In California, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of his/her disability. The definition of "disability" in California is broad, and includes physical disabilities that limit a "major life activity" (e.g., working, walking, and...
Bipolar Disorder in the Workplace
Under California law, employers may not discriminate against an employee because of his/her mental disability. Bipolar disorder is considered a mental disability under California law. As such, an employer may not pay lower compensation to or terminate the employment...
In the News: EEOC Sues Golden Corral for Firing Employee with Epilepsy
According to The National Law Review, the EEOC has sued a Golden Corral franchisee in Georgia for allegedly violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (the "ADA"). The Golden Corral franchisee allegedly terminated a server because she was "unwilling or...
In the News: Former UCI Vice Chancellor Under Fire
According to the Los Angeles Times, a campus review found that Thomas A. Parham, a former UC Irvine vice chancellor, "violated university nondiscrimination policies by refusing to pay an assistant vice chancellor and the directors of two campus centers as much as male...
In the News: “Subtle Discrimination” in the Workplace
According to CNN Money, "'subtle discrimination'" can "create a hostile work environment and make it difficult for some workers to do their jobs." Read the full article, entitled "Can eye contact or weird looks count as discrimination?," here. If you believe that you...