Recent Articles

Salacious Text Messages Not Subject to Police Search

September 18, 2008 22:31

Subtitle:  What's Wong with Quon?What do police officers do after finishing off a few donuts?   Well, this one idled away his time by sending sexually explicit text messages on his Department provided text pager.  When his commanding officer checked the content of the messages, well, Officer Donut w...

She Didn't Make the Cut

July 14, 2008 18:12

This could be the beginning of a dark thriller. A nursing home worker wears a knife concealed under her closing. The employee is part of a group that requires the knife to be worn at all times. A number of mysterious deaths occur at the nursing home.But no, the thriller turns into a more mundane...

Saturday Night in the Office

March 30, 2008 04:46

It's Saturday night, and I came into the office about 3 hours ago to work. Instead of holding my loved one close, I am consoled by her picture on my desk, knowing she is sleeping in London, England tonight. Instead of choosing which music or wine, I was confronted with the scintillating choice of...

Good God It's Morning or Good Morning God?

August 17, 2007 02:59

Most employers think any support of a spiritual or religious activity at work is prohibited. Not so. What is prohibited is partiality of one employee or group because of religion. What does that mean? It means that if the employer sets the rules of a religiously motivated meeting, such as a...

Crazy for Love -- UCLA Psychiatrists in Litigation

February 14, 2007 01:25

He's handsome, he's charming, and maybe he's sexually harassed. Currently on file with L.A. Superior Court is a sexual harassment case by a UCLA male resident against his female supervising physician. He claims he lost a coveted position because he broke off sexual relations with her. He was to be...

U.S. Supreme Court decides for the little guy

August 03, 2006 17:09

California Courts interpreting California anti-discrimination laws often look to federal court decisions interpreting federal anti-discrimination laws under “Title VII”. A recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White (Decided June 22, 2006) is positive for emp...

Putting your money where your mouth is

April 07, 2006 21:59

In California, abusive language can cost about $3195.17 per word. Hope v. California Youth Authority, 134 Cal. App. 4th 577 (2005)The jury awarded Bruce Hope $917,104 in economic damages and $1 million in emotional damages after he was repeatedly called demeaning names and his employer did nothing...

Monkey Business

March 20, 2006 21:32

The Gorilla Foundation in San Francisco recently settled claims by two former employees, Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller, who were allegedly sexual harassed when forced to show a gorilla their bare breasts.Apparently, the foundation president Francine Patterson interpreted the sign language of Koko...

Shuttling back and forth

March 09, 2006 23:33

Have you ever wondered whether you should be compensated for your travel time to and from work because, well, you're being forced to travel? A man named Bobby Overton attempted to be compensated by his employer for his travel time, and lost! He claimed that Disney should compensate its employees...

Chicken plant sued for racial bias

February 27, 2006 22:18

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently held that racial discrimination may be evidenced by use of the term 'boy', regardless of whether a racial classification (such as 'black' or 'white') has been made.The decision is one of the first with new Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Two African-American...