-
On Tuesday, October 6, Governor Brown signed SB 358 (Jackson), the California Fair Pay Act. The Act, aimed at addressing the gender pay gap, will be the nation’s toughest. It seeks to ensure that women are paid equally for performing substantially similar work, and protects employees from retaliation for disclosing/discussing wages or seeking to enforce their rights. Credit goes to Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) for authoring the bill, which had wide bipartisan support, and to co-sponsors
Equal Rights Advocates, California Employment Lawyers Association, and Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.The Fair Pay Act Strengthens Existing Law
California’s Equal Pay Act, Labor Code section 1197.5, was first enacted in 1949 and revised in 1985. It is similar to the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963. The Fair Pay Act bolsters the California Equal Pay Act in the following ways:
1. It provides for equal pay for “substantially similar work,” not just equal work in the same establishment.
This means that a woman need not hold the exact job as her male comparators to seek equal pay. Instead, the works needs to be “substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions.”
2. It eliminates loopholes and limits employers defenses when a wage differential is challenged.
Previously, the following four defenses were permitted:
-
Ramit Mizrahi was honored to speak at the UN Women-L.A. Chapter’s HeForShe event on Sunday, August 23, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Below are her remarks.
Equality in Work
We are fortunate to live in a society where sex discrimination in employment has been unlawful for over 50 years. Yet we still have a long way to go.
Gender Pay Gap
Consider the gender pay gap. According to research by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, in 2014, women working full-time were earning 82% of what their male peers were earning. Breaking it down further, the wage gap for black and Latina women is even greater, with black women earning 68% and Latina women only 61% of what men do.
One third of working mothers are single mothers, and a staggering 30% of them live in poverty. It is estimated that closing the gender pay gap would pull half of those families.
Yet, in the past decade, the gender pay gap has narrowed by just 1.5%.
Some Causes
Workplace discrimination and inequality persist in many forms.
Decades ago, workers were regularly subjected to overt discrimination. It was perfectly normal to have Help Wanted sections in the newspaper divided by jobs for men and women. Sexual harassment of female employees was common.
The most egregious forms of sex discrimination, harassment, and abuse still happen to the most vulnerable populations among us. For example,
-
On September 26, 2015, Ramit Mizrahi will once again be speaking about the year’s most important employment law cases. The panel will be part of the California Employment Lawyers Association’s 28th Annual Employment Law Conference. She will be speaking alongside Andrew H. Friedman of Helmer Friedman, LLP.
Date and time: September 26, 2015, 9:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Tentative)
Location: Marriott Oakland City Center
Additional information will be posted once the CELA Conference schedule is finalized.
-
Mizrahi Law is pleased to announce that founder Ramit Mizrahi has been selected for two highly prestigious lists:
- Super Lawyers™ Up-and-Coming 100: 2015 Southern California Rising Stars, and
- Super Lawyers™ Up-and-Coming 50: Women Southern California Rising Stars.
This is the first year that Super Lawyers has identified its most highly rated Rising Stars on top 50 and top 100 lists.
This marks the third year that Ramit Mizrahi was selected a Super Lawyers™ Southern California Rising Star. Only the top 2.5% of eligible attorneys in Southern California are selected as Super Lawyers Rising Stars, reflecting peer recognition of excellence in practice.
Ms. Mizrahi’s selection as one of the top 100 Rising Stars and top 50 Rising Stars women–already a highly select group of attorneys–reflects that she is highly respected among her peers and is one of the top-rated attorneys in Southern California.
Ms. Mizrahi remains committed to serving as a tenacious advocate for her clients while working to build collegiality and community in the legal profession.
-
On January 30, 2015, Ramit Mizrahi will be co-teaching a program on the nuts and bolts of an employment practice, geared toward new lawyers and more seasoned practitioners who are new to employment law. The program is presented by State Bar of California’s Labor and Employment Law Section and co-sponsored by the California Young Lawyers Association.
Date and time: Friday, January 30, 2015, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Loyola Law School, 919 Albany Street, Robinson Courtroom, Los Angeles, CA
Description: This program will give new employment law practitioners an introduction to the basics of an employment law practice. We will follow a hypothetical case from the plaintiff’s initial consultation with counsel through plaintiff’s and defendant’s investigations and pre-filing considerations, exhaustion issues, discovery, motion practice, ADR, and up to the start of trial. Experienced employment law practitioners representing both plaintiffs and defendants will offer their insights on common issues that frequently arise in employment law practice. A networking lunch is included.
For event information and to register, click here.
-
On February 12, 2015, Ramit Mizrahi will be speaking about the year’s most important employment law cases. The panel will be part of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 35th Annual Labor and Employment Law Symposium. She will be speaking alongside Nancy Abell of Paul Hastings, LLP.
Date and time: February 12, 2015, 8:20–9:50 a.m.
Description: 2014: In Review and In Perspective. What was your favorite case of 2014? Get your wake-up call and hear about the best and worst of the year from two outstanding panelists who will present the year’s legal developments and discuss what they portend for the labor and employment practitioner in the coming year.
Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
-
On November 21, 2014, Ramit Mizrahi will be speaking about depositions of plaintiffs and defendants. The program will be part of a Bridgeport continuing education event titled “Mastering the Deposition.” She will be speaking alongside Eric J. Schindler of the Schindler Law Group.
Date and time: November 21, 2014, at 9 a.m.
Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
-
25 Sep '14
On October 11, 2014, Ramit Mizrahi will be speaking about the year’s most important employment law cases. The panel will be part of the California Employment Lawyers Association’s 27th Annual Employment Law Conference. She will be speaking alongside Andrew H. Friedman of Helmer Friedman, LLP.
Date and time: October 11, 2014, 9:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, 1775 E Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
For event information and to register, click here.
-
12 Aug '14
On August 22, 2014, Ramit Mizrahi will be speaking about pre-litigation case investigations and considerations in preparing complaints. She will be speaking alongside Cameron Fox of Paul Hastings LLP. The program will be part of a Bridgeport continuing education event titled Litigating Discrimination & Harassment Claims.
Date and time: August 22, 2014, at 9:05 a.m.
Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
-
On July 14, 2014, Ramit Mizrahi will be speaking about pregnancy rights and accommodations at the Orange County Bar Association Labor and Employment Section meeting. She will be speaking alongside Nancy Inesta, partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP.
Here are the details:
Pregnancy and Beyond: Understanding Workplace Accommodation, Leave, and Lactation Rights
Description: Multiple laws and regulations protect pregnant women and new mothers in the workplace. Recent regulations and cases have further clarified and expanded upon employers’ obligations to provide accommodations and protections. This panel will cover the most frequent issues that arise in the workplace from early pregnancy through the postpartum period. The panel will address requests for accommodations and transfers both during pregnancy and in the post-postpartum period; pregnancy, childbirth, and baby-bonding leave coverage; understanding job-protected leave vs. paid leave via the EDD; and lactation-related accommodations.
Date and time: July 14, 2014, 12 p.m.
Location: Radisson Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, CA 92660
To register . . . .
Employment Law
Mediation
Phone
(626) 380-9000
News
Mizrahi Law, APC
- 35 N Lake Ave, Ste 710, Pasadena, California 91101
- dates@mizrahilaw.com
- (626) 380-9000
Client Testimonial
“I highly recommend Ramit Mizrahi. She has a winning combination of knowledge, passion, strategy, and empathy. She takes action and communicates updates promptly. Her professionalism is hard to beat. I’d give her 10 stars if I could!”
Latest News
- Ramit Mizrahi has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers and Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Southern California in 2023.
- Ms. Mizrahi is being recognized in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, published by U.S. News & World Report and by Best Lawyers.
- Ms. Mizrahi has been selected as a Top Attorney by Pasadena Magazine for 2023.
- Ms. Mizrahi is serving as Chair of the Pasadena Bar Association Labor and Employment Section.