The Oregon Court of Appeals clarified an important right for Oregon workers, holding that a request for sick time is legally protected regardless of whether the employee meets eligibility requirements. Bennett Hartman attorneys represented an employee of a dental office in Eugene whose employment was terminated after she requested time off work for emergency surgery. […]
Tag: Richard Myers
Bennett Hartman Attorneys Negotiate $15 Million Class Action Wage Settlement
Attorneys with Bennett Hartman, in collaboration with the law firm of Albies & Stark and several labor unions, negotiated a settlement of class action wage claims on behalf of current and former employees of the State of Oregon. Bennett Hartman attorneys filed the class action lawsuit in 2023 after the State implemented a payroll system […]
Jury Awards $345,000 to Franz Bakery Employee for Sexual Harassment
A jury in Lane County reached a verdict in favor of Liz Carroll in claims against her employer, Franz Bakery, and her supervisor, Jason Bohrer. The jury awarded a total of $345,000 in non-economic damages—$250,000 against Franz Bakery and $95,000 against Bohrer. Bennett Hartman attorneys filed the lawsuit on behalf of Carroll in February 2024. […]
Fred Meyer Pays $6.6 Million to Settle Wage Claims
Courts in Oregon and Washington approved class action settlements on behalf of Fred Meyer employees. In 2022, Bennett Hartman attorneys filed the class action lawsuits after Fred Meyer implemented a faulty payroll system that caused widespread pay errors. The lawsuit in Oregon was brought by Fred Meyer employees who worked in Medford, Salem, and Portland. […]
Jury Finds in Favor of Former Firefighter
A jury in Baker County awarded $200,000 in damages to a former firefighter. Attorney Richard Myers filed the lawsuit on behalf of Jason Bybee in 2023. Baker City employed Bybee as a firefighter and EMT when he contracted COVID-19 from a work exposure. Bybee developed Long COVID and was unable to return to his firefighter […]
Fred Meyer Employees Bring Class Action Wage Claims
Attorneys with Bennett Hartman filed class action lawsuits in Oregon and Washington on behalf of Fred Meyer employees who have been shorted wages since September 2022. The lawsuits allege that Fred Meyer violated wage statutes by knowingly implementing a faulty payroll system. Fred Meyer admits the new payroll system caused pay errors. However, it had […]
Union Members Agree to $2.5 million Class Action Wage Settlement
Over 7,500 current and former employees of Multnomah County will receive notice of a class action wage settlement. A judge preliminarily approved the settlement and ordered notices to be mailed by August 25, 2022. The settlement ends nearly three years of litigation. In January 2019 Multnomah County switched to a payroll system by Workday, Inc. […]
Court of Appeals Prohibits Aiding or Abetting Unlawful Employment Practices
The Oregon Court of Appeals issued an opinion in favor of a Bennett Hartman client that will enhance protections for workers in Oregon. Elisabeth Hernandez suffered a serious workplace injury in 2016. Her employer relied on a Colorado company, Reed Group, to manage the medical leave of its employees. Reed Group claimed to have expertise […]
Jury Verdict on Hostile Work Environment Claim
A Multnomah County jury gave a verdict in favor of a former employee of MindRite, a cannabis dispensary in Northwest Portland. In August 2017 the employee complained to the owners of MindRite that her male coworkers were sexually harassing customers and colleagues. After reporting the sexual harassment, the employee also told an owner of MindRite […]
Jurors Award Damages for Whistleblower Retaliation
A 12-person jury in Multnomah County found in favor of a Bennett Hartman client on a claim of whistleblower retaliation. Attorney Talia Stoessel filed the lawsuit on behalf of the worker. She tried the case to a jury with Attorney Richard Myers. After five days of testimony, the jury determined that the worker’s report of […]