Recent Case Result Our client dedicated more than a decade to a large national retail chain before developing a work-related injury that required medical restrictions. Despite her long tenure and documented limitations, the company repeatedly ignored her physician-issued restrictions, assigning her tasks she could not safely perform and causing her condition to worsen. When she requested a reasonable accommodation—specifically, reassignment to a non-active position she knew existed after 10 years with the company—management falsely claimed no such positions were available. Instead, they pressured her into taking a leave of absence. Even when she volunteered to take a demotion to remain employed, she was told that the company “does not allow that.” With no viable path to return and no interest from the employer in accommodating her disability, she was forced to resign while on leave. What Made This Case Unique Although our client’s lost earnings were minimal—she secured a new
Recent Case Result Our client worked for one of the nation’s largest financial institutions when she returned from a year-long, approved medical leave for mental-health reasons. Instead of supporting her transition back to work, the employer transferred her to a branch over an hour away, despite knowing she was a single mother with childcare constraints and mental-health vulnerabilities. Management claimed the reassignment was part of an industry-wide structural change, yet out of a team of more than a dozen, she alone was selected for relocation. What Happened Next Recognizing the hardship this created, our client immediately requested a reasonable accommodation—either reassignment to a closer branch or a demotion into any available role near her home. She even identified multiple open positions that met her limitations. Her requests were ignored. Instead, she was told she must either: Given the employer’s refusal to engage in the interactive process, she had no choice
Associate Attorney Elias Fakhoury of The Labor Champ successfully secured a $144,500.00 settlement for our client who was wrongfully terminated by his employer. Our client, a truck driver, was hired for an early morning shift to be able to care for his wife, who was experiencing severe health complications, in the afternoon. Despite notifying his employer of his situation, he was forced to take a later shift, which made it difficult for him to care for his wife. In addition to the shift change, a co-worker informed our client that he was entitled to a pay increase due to the shift change – information that the employer had withheld. After raising concerns about not receiving the pay increase, he was promised the raise and back pay for the time worked without the increase. Our client also experienced ongoing harassment from co-workers and made several complaints to his supervisor about the negative impact on
At Labor Champ, Attorney Elias Fakhoury recently achieved a $100,000.00 settlement in a case that exposed serious wage violations and unsafe working conditions by an uninsured employer. The Client’s Story Our client worked at a convenience store where he was routinely scheduled for over 90 hours per week — but was only paid for 30 hours. His wages were partially paid by check, with the remainder in cash, all while being compensated below California’s minimum wage. He took the initiative to document his hours, building critical evidence for his claim. Out-of-Pocket Work Expenses In addition to being grossly underpaid, our client was required to use his personal vehicle and credit card to purchase inventory for the store. Despite this, the employer refused to reimburse him for mileage, gas, or related expenses. Injury and Employer Negligence While stocking inventory, our client injured his back. Rather than supporting his recovery, the employer
Managing Partner, Samer Habbas and Associate Attorney, Elias Fakhoury of The Labor Champ obtained a settlement of $80,000.00 against an uninsured employer for our client who was subjected to sexual harassment and an invasion of privacy when his employer placed a hidden camera in the restroom at work. Our client heard that his employer did not want employees using a specific outlet in the restroom, which was very odd to him. After feeling that his employer knew how often he would go to the restroom, he decided to take a look at the outlet and noticed that it had been tampered with. He was able to open up the outlet and shockingly found a hidden camera behind it. After reviewing the contents of the footage, he noticed that it had captured him undressed in the restroom. This invasion of privacy caused our client immense emotional distress and he terminated his employment
Attorney Elias Fakhoury secured a $50,000 settlement for a restaurant employee who was wrongfully terminated after reporting serious misconduct by a high-level partner. This case highlights the legal protections available to California workers under whistleblower and retaliation laws. The employee, a new hire with strong performance reviews, reported a disturbing incident that took place in July 2024. A senior partner allegedly forced a line cook to eat food taken from the trash as punishment for a customer complaint. Concerned about this abuse, the employee gathered statements from staff and reported the misconduct to corporate leadership. Within weeks of raising the concern, the employee faced retaliation. Despite having no documented performance issues, she was abruptly fired—told only that she “wasn’t a good fit.” Following her dismissal, a senior executive acknowledged the situation and offered her a severance package along with a letter of recommendation. This settlement reflects the strength of California