PERB Greatly Expands Representation Rights to Include Interactive Process Meetings

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires an employer to accommodate an employee’s disability. The employer must meet with an employee and discuss reasonable accommodations. Does an employee get a representative at these meetings? The Public Employment Relations Board answered this question with a resounding “yes” in Sonoma County Superior Court (2015) PERB Decision No. 2409-C.

In the case, a trial court employee was diagnosed with a serious illness. She requested a meeting with her employer to discuss reasonable accommodations. She wanted a union representative during the meetings. The employer said no. The union filed an unfair practice charge.

PERB held an employee has a right to representation during an interactive process meeting. An employee may have a representative present in two contexts. First, an employee has a right to a representative during a discipline proceeding. Second, the employee has a right to a representative when engaging in labor activities. This includes activities like filing a grievance or bargaining.

PERB decided an ADA meeting is like a grievance. The meeting is a negotiation on the appropriate accommodation. This directly concerns working conditions. This is the perfect scenario for a labor representative. The representative has unique knowledge of the labor relationship. The representative can use this knowledge to negotiate with the employer. Thus, the employee must be allowed a representative during an interactive meeting.

Employees are often stressed and concerned when engaging in the interactive process. Employers can take advantage of this stress and exploit the employee. A representative can protect the employee and level the playing field during these negotiations. 

California Court of Appeals Limits Use of Secret Recordings in Administrative Investigations

In Telish v. State Personnel Board the California Court of Appeal clarified when an employer may use secret recordings. It is against the law for an employer to secretly record its employees. An employer may secretly record its employees if it is investigating a crime. But an employer may not fake a criminal investigation in order to secretly record its employees.

A police chief reported suspected criminal behavior by a DOJ employee to the the DOJ. The DOJ began a criminal investigation of Telish’s conduct. As part of that investigation, the DOJ asked the woman to record telephone conversations with Telish. These recordings were made without Telish’s consent.

The DOJ completed its investigation and submitted its findings to the Orange County District Attorney. The district attorney declined to prosecute. But the DOJ fired the employee because he violated company rules. The DOJ relied on the secret tape recordings to fire employee. The employee sued the DOJ saying the recordings violated California statutes.

The California Court of Appeal for the Second District upheld the termination. California Penal Code section 632 states one cannot secretly record someone. California Penal Code section 633 provides an exception to this rule. A law enforcement agency may record someone without their consent if the recording is part of a criminal investigation. Furthermore, a law enforcement agency may direct a private citizen to make the recording. Here, the accuser recorded the employee as part of a criminal investigation. Thus, the Court of Appeal ruled the recordings were appropriate under the exception in California Penal Codesection 633.

The employee argued the statutes prevented the use of the recordings in an administrative termination. The Court of Appeal did not agree. Nothing in the statutes prevents the employer from using a recording made as part of a legitimate criminal investigation in an administrative investigation. Here, the DOJ investigation originally focused on criminal activities. Therefore, when made, the recordings were pursuant to a valid criminal investigation. Thus, California Penal Code section 633 applies and the recordings may be used as part of an administrative investigation.

An employer may not lie and label an investigation “criminal” in order to secretly record its employees. There must be real facts that demonstrate an on-going criminal investigation. The recording must be made pursuant to that investigation.

Court of Appeal: No Vested Rights in Post-Retirement Pension Benefit Enhancements

On March 27, 2015, the California Court of Appeal held employees who retired before certain pension benefit enhancements went into effect did not have vested rights to those benefits. The court's decision in Protect Our Benefits v. City and County of San Francisco held retirees' post-retirement benefit enhancements were exposed to legislative impairment.

Beginning in 1996, retired employees of the City and County of San Francisco ("City") received supplemental cost of living allowances ("supplemental COLA") for their pension benefits when the retirement fund's earnings from the previous year exceeded projected earnings. But in November 2011, voters passed an initiative conditioning payment of the supplemental COLA on the retirement fund being "fully funded."

The court held the initiative improperly impaired vested contractual rights for current City employees and those who retired after the 1996 supplemental COLA went into effect. However, the court upheld the November 2011 initiative for City employees who retired before the 1996 supplemental COLA went into effect because they had no vested rights in the supplemental COLA. Vested pension rights are created at the time the employee provides services for the employer. The pre-1996 retirees' vested rights were limited to the pension benefits in effect at retirement, and they had no vested rights in the post-retirement supplemental COLA enhancements.

Sacramento Business Journal Interviews David P. Mastagni

The Sacramento Business Journal interviewed leaders from the top Sacramento firms to discuss what litigators see as challenges in the profession. The article noted:

According to Mastagni Holstedt managing partner David Mastagni, the biggest challenge facing litigators is "Staying on game (from) one litigation setting to another without breaks while being able to shift from one set of facts and laws to another amidst being able to change forums and jurisdictions."

The Journal recently listed Mastagni Holstedt as the top litigation firm.

Mastagni Holstedt Ranked #1 Litigation Firm By Sacramento Business Journal

The Sacramento Business Journal ranked Mastagni Holstedt the #1 litigation law firm.  The list ranks the top twenty-five law firms in Sacramento metro by number of litigators.

According to Mastagni Holstedt Founder, David P. Mastagni, "We are very pleased to have the growth and success of our litigation practices recognized in this way.  As the firm grows in Southern California, it is important to us to remain the leader in Sacramento litigating on behalf of employees, public safety labor associations, and individual plaintiffs, as well as class and mass actions."