Employment News

Wingstop employees who suffered from wage theft will benefit from a $1.7 million settlement — yet more proof that employees who stand up against wrongdoing can be made whole. The California Labor Commission announced the settlement, which pays affected workers $5 for every $1 originally due to them. The case affects about 550 employees of a Wingstop franchisee who owns five locations in Bakersfield. It all started with a tip from one of the chicken restaurants. Ultimately, investigators … [Read more...]

Delayed raises for certain California healthcare workers finally have a start date: Oct. 16. Some of the state’s lowest-paid healthcare workers were supposed to see bumps in their paychecks starting in summer and stair-stepping up over time to $25 an hour, according to a bill passed late last year (SB 525). But a multibillion-dollar budget deficit led California politicians to delay the increases. Some healthcare facilities reportedly already boosted pay, sometimes prompted by labor … [Read more...]

We’ve written before about California’s regulations that help protect produce, construction, landscaping and other outdoor workers from dangerously high temperatures. In July, similar protections went into effect for most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing plants. Under the regulations approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, in indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take steps to protect … [Read more...]

For years, employees in California have struggled to get justice for workplace retaliation. That’s because workers couldn’t prove their employer’s actions were retaliatory — even if they were fired or demoted soon after they spoke up about problems in their companies.  In fact, the legal standard was so difficult to meet that many employees decided it was better to stay silent. According to a 2022 survey of California workers, 38 percent had experienced a workplace violation, but only 10 … [Read more...]

California may be known for its progressive labor standards, but most hourly workers in the state routinely face labor law violations, and few report them, according to a new analysis. Ninety-one percent of workers surveyed had experienced at least one type of violation at work during the past year. Forty-one percent had experienced a serious violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), such as working off the clock, not being paid required overtime, not being paid for all their work … [Read more...]