California Passes Bill Banning Caste-Based Discrimination

California Passes Bill Banning Caste-Based Discrimination

ByHimani Khatter

California is set to become the first state to explicitly ban caste discrimination. Senate Bill 403 (“SB 403”), which was passed last Tuesday, September 5, would integrate “caste” into the definition of “ancestry” as a characteristic protected from discrimination by California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and Fair Employment Housing Act. If signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom before October 14, 2023, the law will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

Can a Staffing Agency be Found Liable for a Host Employer’s Mistreatment of its Employees?

Can a Staffing Agency be Found Liable for a Host Employer’s Mistreatment of its Employees?

ByHimani Khatter

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has found a staffing agency not liable for alleged mistreatment of two of its female employees at the host employer where they were placed. In Arredondo v. Elwood Staffing Services, Inc., the 5th Circuit Court affirmed summary judgment in favor of the staffing company, Elwood Staffing Services, and released them from the lawsuit.

UPS and Teamsters Labor Union Enter $30 Billion Collective Bargaining Agreement

UPS and Teamsters Labor Union Enter $30 Billion Collective Bargaining Agreement

ByHimani Khatter

On July 25, the United Parcel Service and labor union International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement for approximately 340,000 UPS workers. The deal was reached a week before a threatened strike that could have disrupted a quarter of the nation’s package shipments and cost the economy billions.

California Employers Still Obligated to Reimburse Work-From-Home Expenses During COVID-19 Pandemic Order

ByHimani Khatter

Earlier this month, the California Court of Appeal held in Thai v. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. that even when governmental health and safety orders made working from home mandatory during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may still be liable for necessary business expenses employees incurred while being required to work from home under California Labor Code section 2802.

Class Certification Win for O’Reilly Auto Workers in California

ByHimani Khatter

On Monday, July 10, 2023, a California federal judge certified a statewide class of O’Reilly Auto Enterprises LLC hourly workers over allegations that O’Reilly violated California wage statement laws. However, the judge declined to certify three other classes relating to claims that O’Reilly failed to provide lawful meal breaks.