Category: Arbitration: Employment

Employment, Existence Of Arbitration Agreement: Employer Failed To Show Arbitration Agreement Existed During Second Employment Stint

Termination Of Employment Stint #1 Terminated Arbitration Agreement.         Plaintiff Jasmin Vazquez sued SaniSure, Inc. for Labor Code violations. SaniSure moved to compel arbitration based on the existence of a broad arbitration clause in Vazquez's employment agreement. SaniSure failed in the trial court and in the Court of Appeal. Vazquez v. SaniSure, Inc. (2/6  4/3/24) […]

Arbitration, Deadlines: Once Again, Requirement In Employment And Consumer Arbitration To Pay Fees In 30 Days Is Strictly Interpreted

California Courts Have Posted Plenty Of Warnings About The 30-Day Deadline To Pay The Arbitration Fees Or Lose The Right To Arbitrate.         And we have posted plenty of times about those warnings about this particular deadline. The latest warning that the 30-day deadline found in Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 1281.97 will be […]

Prompt Payment: Along With Other Courts, 1st District Div. 3 Strictly Interprets Statutory Prompt Payment Requirement For Employer Wanting To Arbitrate

The Payment Must Be Received By The Arbitrator Within 30 Days Of When It Was Due.         September 1, 20221 was the “due date” for the employer in a sexual harassment dispute to pay arbitration fees and costs to the arbitrator, making payment due October 3. Cal. Code of Civ. Proc., § 1281.98(a)(1). The employer […]

Arbitration, Scope: 9th Circuit Ruled Amazon Arbitration Agreement With Flex Drivers Did Not Apply To Spying On Drivers On Facebook

Two Judge Majority With Judge Susan P. Graber Concurring And Dissenting.         Amazon Flex Drivers sued Amazon for allegedly spying on them in a closed Facebook group where the drivers discussed employment-related issues when they were not working. A panel of the 9th Circuit held that a 2016 arbitration agreement applied, because the employer seems […]

Arbitration, Deadlines, Prompt Payment, Fees: Plaintiff Successfully Exercises Option To Withdraw From Arbitration Because Defendant Employer Was Tardy Paying Arbitration Fees

Courts Have Been Unforgiving In Interpreting An Unambiguous Statute. See CCP § 1281.98.         "A statute gave Milan Cvejic the option to get out of arbitration if Skyview was tardy in paying its arbitration fees. Skyview was tardy in paying its arbitration fee. Cvejic was entitled to get out." Milan Cvejic v. Skyview Capital, LLC, […]

Employment: Employee’s Release Of Claim After It Accrued Is Not Illegal Or A Violation Of Public Policy

Employee Entered Into Release Of Claims In Her Separation Agreement.         Elizabeth Castelo entered into a release of claims in her separation agreement from her employer Xceed Financial Credit Union. In arbitration, the employee argued that she had entered into a pre-dispute arbitration agreement that was invalid. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the employer, […]

Construction Of Agreement And Unconscionability: Confidentiality Agreement And Arbitration Clause Were Construed Together

File This Under "More Ways Than One To Skin A Cat." Woman wearing a blue robe with Buzzer the cat. Photographer: Arnold Genthe. Library of Congress.         Alberto v. Cambrian Homecare, B14192 (2/4   filed 4/19/23, cert for pub. 5/10/23) (Daum, Collins, Currey), affirms the trial court's order finding an arbitration clause unconscionable.         Here's the […]

Unconscionability: Second District, Div. 8 Holds That Illegible Contract Is Fair, And Therefore Not Unconscionable

Majority Of Panel Holds That Substantive Unconscionability Was Missing. Justice Stratton Dissents.          Writing for the majority, Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr. explains that the above contract is enforceable, requiring the plaintiff employee to arbitrate her dispute. Though the document is manifestly illegible, Justice Wiley concludes that the contract is fair. Therefore, there is no […]

PAGA: Second District Div. 4 Holds Employee Has Standing To Bring PAGA Representative Claims After Individual Claim Is Sent To Arbitration

Court Follows Opening Provided By Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Concurrence In Viking Cruises v. Moriana.         Following the Supreme Court opinion in Viking Cruises v. Moriani, there could be no disagreement that employee Million Seifu's individual PAGA claim against Lyft for personal Labor Code violations he suffered could be arbitrated. But that left the hot […]

PAGA, FAA Preemption: Fourth District, Div. 3 Holds Arbitration Of Individual PAGA Claims Can Be Compelled, But Not Representative Claims

                Texas Longhorn.         Clinton & Charles Robertson from Del Rio, Texas & San Marcos. Wikipedia.                                       Between Scylla and Charybdis. Wikipedia. Between Horns Of A Dilemma And Between Scylla […]