The NOHO art walk happened tonight

The NOHO art walk happened tonight. A lively place for artistic expression whether it is dance, music, or art. I am glad there is something for people to do other than eat and drink. It is also nice to see Lankershim has a second life.
After all, this is where the Valley started.

#NOHOjoblawyer #NOHOartwalk #NorthHollywoodemploymentlaw

Handling a lawsuit is a little like framing a building.

Handling a lawsuit is a little like framing a building. There are steps that have to be followed especially if there is a need to do what is called, "Exhaust Administrative Remedies."
Administrative remedies have to be exhausted in discrimination and harassment lawsuits as well as PAGA aka Private Attorney General Act penalty lawsuits.

November 23, 2018 will mark my 25th year framing and proving employee lawsuits!

This is one of those concrete pours

This is one of those concrete pours where it is just under 90 degrees and nobody tells me today is the day.
I wasn't down there supervising, screeding, or vibrating the concrete. The end result, crap finish and low ends on all sides.

A lot of times in life we doubt our work. As a lawyer I've always been sub-conscious of my concrete work. People who do the work every day add to the doubt, but honestly I am decades ahead of this crew in the trade. A lot of my work has been alone, in the heat, the dark, whatever and none of these mistakes have happened.

Work in the trenches, dangerous work.
We are marking off the finish floor level and the finish level of the landing.
We have to move a sewer pipe back a few feet. I've been on this job almost three months now. Extremely dangerous, big crews, and no injuries.

Your employer and supervisors might not be as good as my crew. This week I heard an expert talk about heat exhaustion.
When working outside this summer they are recommending 15 minute breaks.
California law only allows 10 minute breaks.

Multi family construction is taking a lot of the construction workers in the San Fernando Valley. Sadly, construction fences are being defaced.
This Sherman Oaks site has some decent framing!

#workerattorney

The defense on many employment lawsuits is, "A bunch of junk."
Anyway, I did some metal recycling today at this facility near our Van Nuys storage unit.

#workattorneys

Last night I broadcast my live employment law radio show in the Number 2 radio market in the country. Today I spent an hour in the trenches.

We had to determine where bedrock lied, and whether a structural engineering modification was necessary when we realized there was fill dirt deeper than the geologists originally thought. We also had to coordinate with the structural engineer on the placement of a pile per plans which did not make sense. I did some ladder carrying when the geologist wanted to climb down 11 feet to examine what was down there.

Residential construction involves tight spaces, lots of machinery, and a 12 yard dump truck. All of this can lead to injuries, unpaid wages, and other Labor violations. On top of it, 16% of all construction workers are mis-classified independent contractors. Construction workers comprise the largest industry for independent contractors. I would have thought it would be IT professionals.

#laborlawsconstruction #Independentcontractorviolation

Employees who have been fired from their jobs might be protected from termination even if the medical issue was minor. California employees are entitled to use half of the sick leave they would accrue in a six month period of time. When calling a labor lawyer to discuss a potential termination due to an absence for sickness other than a qualifying condition under the CFRA/FMLA, or disability it is important to be able to tell the lawyer how often you accrued sick days, and how many you had left at the time of your job termination.

#sickleavelawyer

Typical Los Angeles Superior Court hallway. This one is Van Nuys Superior Court. Many of the county courthouses still in service were built Mid-Century. This particular superior court was built in 1967.
Most employment lawsuits are filed in the Central courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Nonetheless, I find myself appearing in Van Nuys for one reason or another every so often because it is so close to our Sherman Oaks office.

#VanNuysemployeelawyer #VanNuysSuperiorCourt

Almost Hollywood from this North Hollywood location mis-named sometimes Universal City. The reflections in the building are real. This was shot late afternoon before we went back to day-light-savings time. The glass buildings in the Valley often pick up sensational reflections of iconic Los Angeles scenery.

#NorthHollywoodjoblawyer

Not a lot of people are out for a rest break in front of this Encino office building where I mediated a very interesting case today in which one employer committed marital status discrimination and wrongful termination when an employee voiced concerns over workers compensation rights for another employee, and pregnancy discrimination by the temporary agency employing her.

#pregnancydiscrimination #restbreaklawyer

This was 3 days ago. I suppose there are only 3 more days left of Radio Shack. Radio Shack, home of the Battery of the Month Club. Creator of the first laptop I'd ever seen; the Pocket Computer. Yes, the TRS-80 Models I-III and the Color Computer which I took the most interest in programming because I thought it was a simple, colorful machine. Yes, the Apple was a joke back then.
The end of an era; the era of the electric hobbyist. Nowhere anymore the home for every small electric part. An iron to Solder together an 8080 kit computer.
And a fitting Radio Shack to say goodbye to. One situated in what was once the largest outdoor mall in the world extending slightly North from this North Hollywood location and going south to Laurel Plaza. Now the most depressing reminder of Little Israel, Post War boom, and outdoor malls.

#RadioShack #NorthHollywood #LaurelPlaza

Venerable, beautiful Sportsman's Lodge aka Trout Lake in Studio City. No more fish in the pond, but at least it's still there. Maybe stop by for coffee before making the extra mile trek to my Sherman Oaks office.

#StudioCity #employmentlawyerStudioCity

I have represented employees since 1993. I am licensed in California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington D.C. I have tried and arbitrated numerous cases under various disability acts.
The ADA and state employment laws were enacted to protect what was then referred to merely as, "Deaf." In many cases minimal assistive devices enable a hearing impaired worker to perform a job. Employers have a very difficult time proving it is an undue burden to accomodate a disabled employee who needs an assistive device that costs less than $500-$1,000. With modern technology there are many ways a hearing impaired employee can perform most jobs.
The problem, supervisors are too busy and sometimes disabled employees do not properly voice what it is they need to do their job given their limitations. Co-workers, even today, are a problem. They may claim communication difficulties, slow down of operations, or prefer not to work with a disabled employee who needs assistive devices.
The recent defenses I see employers make for hearing impaired include:
Safety risks to the worker and others. An employer hired a deaf worker to work on a loading dock. Because he could not hear forklifts or large trucks backing up they claimed he was a safety hazard
The need to communicate some how prevents hearing impaired employees from working
Some how it materially slows down the work operation for assistive devices to be used
Because I am dedicated to helping employees with disabilities, and live in a household with disability, I try my best to serve the labor needs of disabled workers. Additional, legally related articles I wrote can be found at:
https://employeelawca.com/los-angeles-disability-discrimination-lawyer/
https://employeelawca.com/california-employment-disability-discrimination-law/
https://joblawyer.net/disability-discrimination.shtml
Please consider these additional resources:
California Government Code Section 12940 is the Fair Employment and Housing Act. It governs disability discrimination in employment
42 U.S.C. 12000 onward is the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
In Washington D.C. they also have a Disability Office with a website:
https://odr.dc.gov/
In Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission may be of assistance with disability claims:
https://twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/disability-discrimination
If your problems are not employment related, but public accomodation access related I am not a legal expert. However, there are many attorneys in most metropolitan areas who handle public access/ADA lawsuits. Often, the same government agency that handles employment discrimination claims will take claims for public accomodation violations.
A parting word of advice: do not be shy when communicating with your employer about your need for accomodation. The worst thing an employee can do is to be vague, or afraid to tell their employer. Employers will have an easy time saying they are not responsible for what they did not know.

#localdisabilitydiscriminationlawyer #ADAlawyer

Just saying hi from Agoura, an interesting place between Employment Lawyers Group Sherman Oaks and Employment Lawyers Oxnard.
Typically the Agoura clients come to the Sherman Oaks office. Typically, I drive through Agoura on my way to the Oxnard office once or twice a week. On the way back sometimes I cannot resist stopping at 101 Barbecue. Sometimes during the summer I am lucky enough to attend a concert at the Chumash Park. See you in Agoura one way or another!

#employmentlawyerAgoura

This is me when I was a law student. From the looks of the suit and tie I'd say this was the late 1940s or early 1950s. I do recall being at the Cinnamon Cider Night Club in Studio City for this picture. Wait, that place was open when the Beatles first came to Los Angeles. This couldn't be the 40s or 50s and besides I wasn't a law student then, but this was definitely taken at least where it used to be called the Cinnamon Cider.

#CinnamonCiderStudioCity #Vintagelawstudent