Tag Archives: labor and employment
Department of Justice Claims Businesses May Discriminate Against Transgender Workers
The U.S. Department of Justice told the Supreme Court in October 2018 that businesses are allowed to discriminate against workers based on gender identity without violating federal law. In an appearance in front of the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Noel Francisco said the civil rights law that bans sex discrimination in the workplace does not […]
Wells Fargo Forced to Pay $9.5 Million Settlement
Wells Fargo has gone through no shortage of scandals in recent years, and now it has more bad news. In late April, Wells Fargo agreed to shell out $9.5 million in a settlement over allegations that it did not pay financial advisors their commissions in a timely manner and routinely failed to reimburse them for […]
NLRB Rules Employer Did Not Break Law by Terminating Employee Who Violated Security Protocols
In a late February decision, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a significant decision for employers and employees alike in the case of KHRG Employer, LLC dba Hotel Burnham & Atwood Café. Evan Demma worked for two years in efforts to organize the Hotel Burnham & Atwood Café in Chicago. In 2014, he participated […]
Judge Throws Out Trade Secret Theft Claims Based on Whistleblower Immunity
In what is believed to be a first-time occurrence under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, a U.S. District Judge tossed out claims against a person accused of stealing trade secrets based on the DTSA’s rules for immunity for confidential disclosures to attorneys while investigating suspected legal violations. Under the DTSA, trade secret disclosures made in […]
Texas Oil Regulator Files Wrongful Termination Claim After Exposing Safety Issues
An oil inspector in Texas claims to have been wrongfully fired for reporting safety violations within his company and being subject to unfair retaliation in the time leading up to his dismissal. That inspector, Fred Wright, was fired about a year and a half ago. He had had a successful career including numerous excellent […]
Two Men Receive $7.6 Million in Goldman Sachs Wrongful Firing Suit
A pair of former brokers for Goldman Sachs & Company’s Los Angeles offices earned $7.6 million in monetary awards after filing a wrongful termination and discrimination suit against the company. The men, Chris Barra and Luis Sampredo, received a total of $5.2 million in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages against the company. […]
A Look Back at SEC Whistleblowers in 2014
In retrospect, 2014 has to be considered a success for the whistleblower program run by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This year, whistleblowers who earned awards through the SEC earned more money than in all previous years of the program’s existence combined, with one whistleblower who reported major fraud within a company […]
OSHA Hands Down Record Award Under Federal Railroad Safety Act
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) gave a MTA Metro-North railroad employee a record award under the Federal Railroad Safety Act after they suffered an injury in 2011. The $250,000 in punitive damages and additional $10,000 in compensatory damages awarded to the unnamed victim make up the most money ever given in a FSRA […]
Minnesota Overturns Precedent By Extending Whistleblower Statute of Limitations
On December 15, the Court of Appeals for the state of Minnesota made a decision that reversed 20 years of precedent by extending the Minnesota Whistleblower Act’s statute of limitations from two to six years. The decision came in a claim made by a former employee of Minneapolis Public Schools who reported financial discrepancies within […]
Whistleblowers on Wall Street Could Earn Share of $425 Million Pot
Since the establishment of the SEC Whistleblower Program, there have been a lot more highly publicized cases of whistleblowers coming forward and revealing wrongdoing within their organizations, specifically in regard to fraudulent activity. Awards through the SEC have been reaching record levels this year, with one person coming away with a $30 million settlement after […]
