Faruqi & Faruqi is thrilled to announce final approval of the hard-fought settlement in Griffin et al. v. Aldi Inc., No. 5:16-cv-00354. The settlement recovered a remarkable $9.8 million for the Aldi Store Managers, including an average award of over $25,000 to each individual Store Manager. Faruqi & Faruqi, as co-lead counsel, represented the Plaintiffs and a class of similarly-situated current and former Store Managers employed by Aldi. . Plaintiffs filed this action on March 29, 2016, [...]
On October 30, 2018, Congressmen Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) took a crucial step to combat employer’s use of arbitration agreements to restrict workers’ rights by introducing the Restore Justice for Workers Act (“Act”). The proposed legislation strives to open “the courthouse doors for workers by prohibiting the use of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts and prohibiting employers from requiring employees to waive their right to engage in joint, [...]
On October 25, 2018, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), arguing on behalf of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), contradicted the EEOC’s prior position regarding the rights of transgender employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court, the DOJ argued that federal law does not prohibit businesses from discriminating against employees on the basis of their gender identity. The brief echoes an [...]
On Tuesday, October 9, 2018, New York workers will be assured additional resources to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers in the Empire State will be required to establish a sexual harassment prevention policy in accordance with new standards promulgated by the New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”), and to provide workers with a complaint form to report incidents of sexual harassment. Further, employers will be required to provide all employees with sexual [...]
On July 26, 2018, the California Supreme Court ruled that Starbucks cannot rely on the de minimis doctrine to combat its ex-employee’s claims for unpaid wages when closing the coffee shop at the end of the day. The ruling is a significant win for hourly workers as it ensures that Golden State employers cannot duck liability when failing to pay workers’ wages for only a few minutes of work per shift. Specifically, in Troester v. Starbucks, California’s highest State court held that [...]