In a qui tam lawsuit, a private individual brings an action on the government’s behalf. The False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §3729-3733) authorizes qui tam actions against parties who have defrauded the federal government. The whistleblower bringing the action, also called a relator, must inform the United States of...
Some people might think that catcalling (such as whistles, suggestive comments, and sexual advances) at their workplace is just an unpleasant part of their job that they have to endure. This is untrue. Some might be asking, is catcalling sexual harassment? The answer is yes in many circumstances. If...
Cortina v. North American Title Co. (2026) — Cal.App.5th —, F085389 Key Takeaway: A California appeals court erased a $75 million judgment won by roughly 400 escrow workers who proved they were misclassified as exempt and denied overtime pay. The reversal turned on procedural errors and a flawed trial...
Doss v. Tesla, Inc. (2026) — Cal.App.5th —, A173210 Key Takeaway: The First District Court of Appeal held that Tesla’s yard hostlers — workers who move 53-foot trailers containing auto parts around Tesla’s Fremont factory grounds — are transportation workers engaged in interstate commerce under Section 1 of the...
Key Takeaway The First District Court of Appeal ruled that a furniture delivery driver who carried goods from a distribution center to retail customers counts as a transportation worker, which means his contract is exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act under Section 1. That held true even though his...
Taduran v. James R. Glidewell, Dental Ceramics, Inc. (2026) — Cal.App.5th —, G064718 Key Takeaway: The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a trial court’s award of $516,965 in PAGA civil penalties and $733,440 in attorney fees in a case involving overtime, rest period, and wage statement violations. The...
A nursing program director sexually harassed a student in his clinical program, retaliated when she rejected him, and forced her out of the program. Then the school argued in court that she had no right to sue because she was a student, not an employee. A California appellate court...
When your employer presents termination documents, you may wonder whether you have to sign them. The answer is no. Neither California nor federal law requires employees to sign termination papers. However, understanding what those documents contain and what happens if you refuse to sign them is essential to protecting...
California law prohibits employers from punishing employees who report illegal conduct. This protection exists because employers cannot reverse what employees expose, creating incentives for employers to respond by silencing the whistleblower. Yet retaliation accounts for nearly half of all workplace discrimination charges filed with federal regulators—42,301 complaints in 2024...
Wrongful termination reinstatement is a legal remedy in California where a court or administrative agency orders an employer to rehire an employee who was fired in violation of state or federal labor laws. When a discharge is driven by illegal discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, affected workers have the legal...
If you are facing uncomfortable or manipulative attention at work, you may be wondering, Is this harassment? Is this grooming? What are my rights? You deserve clear answers. And at King & Siegel LLP, our award-winning legal team helps California employees understand their rights and take a stand when...
Losing your job is hard enough. Waiting to find out how long justice will take can feel even harder. In California, some wrongful termination cases are resolved within months, while others take years. The truth is that the answer to “How long do wrongful termination cases take?” depends on...