“Ableism” is a form of disability discrimination — but it’s so culturally ingrained that it’s often hard to combat. Ableism is anything that devalues someone based on their disability — whether that disability is visible or not. Here are some examples of ableism in the workplace: Having…
A lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court alleges that a California educator was the victim of wrongful termination once she tried to alert a school’s governing body to numerous improprieties by its executive director. Olive Grove Charter School bills itself as an alternative to traditional…
A disability can strike anyone, at any age. In fact, it’s estimated that around 40 million Americans struggle with some form of mental or physical disability. Many of those people are working despite their impairments — but they don’t always have an easy time finding acceptance in…
Your hair is a very personal, important part of your identity. So, what happens when your hairstyle is at odds with your employer’s grooming policy? Worse, what if your manager tells you that your natural hair is somehow “unprofessional” and expects you to submit to painful, damaging…
Breastfeeding an infant is best for both the infant and mother — but when that mother is working, attempting to breastfeed and asking for accommodations too often ends with a pink slip. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which covers many employees in the United States, and…
Retaliation in the workplace is illegal but it still happens today in businesses all throughout San Francisco, the rest of California and the rest of the country. There are various ways you can face retaliation at work and for various reasons. We will take a look at…
People with disabilities enjoy certain workplace protections — but is obesity really a disability in California? Actually, it depends. An appellate court’s ruling on a recent case laid out the conditions under which obesity can be considered a disability. Employers need to take note and adjust their…
If the customer is always right, does that mean anything goes? Do you, as an employee of whatever enterprise that puts you in the public’s path, simply have to suffer whatever bad and boorish behavior a customer wants to dish your way? Absolutely not. When a customer’s…
Every job has risks of some sort — but some are far more dangerous than others. For those occupations, certain protective measures have to be taken to ensure that workers can operate with at least some sense of personal safety. What can you do, however, when your…
In an eye-opening wrongful termination lawsuit against the luxury retailer Moschino, a former employee of its West Hollywood location alleges that her manager pulled out all the stops when it came to showing her racial biases. The employee, a black woman of Haitian descent, details some startling…
