Maria Gatchalian, a former charge nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit, has been awarded $41.49 million in her wrongful termination and retaliation lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente. Gatchalian had worked in the NICU at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center ...
Read More »DOJ’s new whistleblower incentive program: Implications for employers
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the launch of a 90-day “policy sprint” as it works to develop a rewards program for whistleblowers who report corporate and financial misconduct. The program, announced by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco ...
Read More »Unvaccinated employee awarded unemployment benefits after denial of religious exemption
In a recent decision, Massachusetts’ highest court has upheld an award of unemployment benefits to a home health aide whose employment with Fallon Community Health Plan was terminated after her request for a religious exemption from the company’s COVID-19 vaccination ...
Read More »DOL files retaliation claims in FLSA case
A farm in Tennessee is facing allegations of retaliation against employees who exercised their legally protected right to inquire about their wages. The Department of Labor (DOL) has filed a complaint and motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent ...
Read More »EEOC settlement highlights pitfalls of employee physical assessments
A provider of housekeeping, food, and facilities support services has agreed to pay $520,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit alleged that Hospital Housekeeping Systems, LLC (HHS) violated the ...
Read More »DOJ argues gender dysphoria falls within ADA
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a statement of interest asserting that gender dysphoria is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a move that could impact how employers handle accommodations and discrimination claims from transgender employees. ...
Read More »Pregnancy discrimination actions heat up
The EEOC has released news of multiple legal actions related to pregnancy discrimination, and employers should take notice. First, the agency filed suit against a bakery cafe in New Orleans, claiming that it violated federal law when it fired an ...
Read More »NLRB: ‘Black Lives Matter’ insignia allowed
The NLRB has issued a decision in Home Depot USA, Inc., holding that an employer violated the National Labor Relations Act when it discharged an employee for refusing to remove the hand-drawn letters “BLM” — the acronym for “Black Lives Matter” — ...
Read More »Mortgage lender’s employment contract deemed unlawful
A ruling by an administrative law judge has affirmed that the employment agreement mandated by United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), one of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders, contains multiple provisions that violate federal labor laws and unlawfully restrict workers’ protected rights. ...
Read More »Federal judge allows lawsuit against CVS to proceed over alleged lie detector use
A federal judge has allowed a proposed class action lawsuit to move forward against CVS Health Corporation and CVS Pharmacy, Inc. over their alleged use of lie detector tests with job applicants. The lawsuit, which was filed by plaintiff Brendan ...
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