30
July
Video Game Giant Activision Blizzard Slammed by California DFEH for “Frat Boy” Culture of Sexual Harassment
Last week, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) sued Activision Blizzard, the video game giant responsible for popular franchises such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, for creating a “frat boy” culture of “constant sexual harassment.” The suit alleges that female employees were routinely paid less than male employees, disciplined more harshly, and subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace. Trigger warning: some of the allegations brought forth in the lawsuit are disturbing to read.
Sexual
28
July
Celebrity Chefs Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich to pay $600K to Former Employees Who Endured Sexual Harassment at Work
After a four-year investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office, celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich and their management group, B&B hospitality, have agreed to pay $600,000 to at least 20 former employees who were sexually harassed and retaliated against while working.
The Investigation into B&B’s Harassment
The investigation found that B&B (Batali and Bastianich) had “engaged in unlawful sex discrimination and retaliation, in violation of state and city human rights laws” at their restaurants. While both men and women
21
July
Worklaw Wednesday Alert: The Future of Employee Drug Testing
Currently, in the United States, 18 states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, but in some instances that does not absolve employees from yielding a positive result during drug testing for marijuana use. However, in New York, Governor Cuomo signed into effect the Cannabis/Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in March of this year (2021), which provides certain protections for recreational marijuana users.
What New Drug Testing Policy Means for Employees
The Act amends Section 201-d of New York Labor Law, which
16
July
Female Chinese Employees File a Lawsuit against NYC Lab for Alleged Racial Discrimination
In an article published on The City, a Lab Firm located in New York is currently facing a lawsuit for allegedly mistreating and racially discriminating against its Chinese employees. The claims were made by six Chinese phlebotomists, all women, who were hired by BioReference Laboratories to perform a series of medical tasks at labs located throughout the city. The six employees, who are being represented by the Legal Aid Society, expressed that the tasks they were asked to complete were
