Tag: FEHA

California High Court Dismisses “Friends” Harassment Suit

The California Supreme Court has ruled 7-0 that sexually coarse and vulgar language used in meetings by writers developing scripts for the hit television sitcom “Friends” didn’t create a hostile work environment for a writers’ assistant on the show. According to the court, most of the objectionable language and conduct wasn’t aimed at the assistant, […]

Short Takes: Protected Characteristics of FEHA

What are considered protected characteristics under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act? 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out the Guide to Employment Law for California Employers and get up to speed on everything you need to know. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits employment practices […]

Training: We’ve Done Our Sexual Harassment Training; What Other Types of Harassment Training Do We Need?

We’ve gotten through the initial round of our required sexual harassment training. Whew! But I want to expand it to include other types of harassment, such as religious harassment, disability harassment, and so on. Which elements do you recommend we include, and should we incorporate this training into the sexual harassment training, or do it […]

No Obligation to Make Light-Duty Accommodation Permanent

According to a new decision from a California Court of Appeals, the state antibias law doesn’t obligate an employer to make a temporary light-duty accommodation for a disabled employee into a permanent one. The case involved Burbank police officer Mark Raine, who injured his knee while on his normal patrol duty. The police department reassigned […]

Public Employees: New Case Makes It Easier for Public Workers to File Lawsuits for Bias-Related Claims

Last year, the California Supreme Court made it easier for public employees to sue over job bias by ruling that they can bypass their employers’ internal grievance process and file a discrimination complaint directly with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Now a California appeal court has clarified an issue left open […]

Disabled Workers: New Ruling Highlights Key Differences Between ADA And California Law

Although the disability provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) were modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the two laws have some key differences—and the California rules provide greater protection for disabled employees. We’ll tell you about a new ruling from a federal court in San Francisco that focuses on […]

Disability Bias: California Provides Broader Protection than the ADA for Employees with Physical Disabilities; What You Should Know

Over the last few years, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued several rulings narrowing the definition of what constitutes a disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Now, the California Supreme Court has ruled that California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) affords workers broader protections than the ADA.

News Notes: Sacramento Lawmakers Introduce Harassment Bill

A new bill introduced in the state Legislature would expand the antiharassment provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to require employers to protect workers from harassment by clients and customers. A.B. 76 is a response to a recent court ruling that employers aren’t liable under the FEHA for harassment by clients […]