Lawyers for Workplace Fairness APC ON-GOING SCAM ON SMALL BUSINESS Burbank CALIFORNIA

Effective January 1, 2013, California law provides that current and former employees (or a representative) have the right to inspect and receive a copy of the personnel files and records that relate to the employee’s performance or to any grievance concerning the employee. Labor Code Section 1198.5 Inspections must be allowed at reasonable times and intervals, but not later than 30 calendar days from the date the employer receives a written request. Upon a written request from a current or former employee, or a representative, the employer shall provide a copy of the personnel records, at a charge not to exceed the actual cost of reproduction, not less than 30 calendar days from the date the employer receives the request. Pursuant to same labor code statute the employer may take reasonable steps to verify the identity of a current or former employee or an authorized representative by the following means.

(1)A sign Authorization for Release of Personal employment File and Wage Records

(2) A copy of valid California Driver’s License or Identification

(3) A copy of Social Security (SS) Card showing the same SS number he provided on his employment application.

Prior to making records available for inspection or providing a copy of those records, the employer may redact the name of any nonsupervisory employee.

Lawyers for Work Place Fairness is an unscrupulous organization base of out Los Angeles know to hundreds of small business owners as extortionist and shake-down artists who utilized this Labor Code to request the employment records of mostly Hispanics restaurant workers thru out Southern California by simply submitting a pay stub to the business and demanding the employee employment records. In most case the naive business owners usually comply with request, only to learn later they may have set-up themselves to be extorted and shake-down by a group of unethical lawyers.

Within days of complying with the labor code, the businesses will receive a number threatening and intimidating letters accusing the establishment of multiple violation of numerous wage and hour violation pursuant to the California Labor Code, and demanding the business pay large sums of money to the law firm in order to prevent lengthy and costly litigation.

In most case, Lawyers for Work Place Fairness false accusations and threats of litigation are being ignored by some business owners, while others end up paying the scammers to go away.

Some of the crooked lawyers from that law firm known to engage in this questionable and unethical conduct are Marcela Freig, Sheldrin Ruiz, Jonathan Rayas, they will hound the business with endless letters marked Confidential Settlement Communication demanding their victims pay of face with law suit in California Superior Courts.

The truth to matter is in the State of California, the State’s Labor Commission pursuant to labor code sections 96 and 98 is the only government and regulatory agency with juridistiction to investigate and enforcement wage and hour claims between employees and employers, not Lawyers for Workplace Fairness. More importantly the labor commission must serve notice on the business owners to appear at a hearing were they can present evidence and witness.

If your business were to receive any request for employment/payroll records for past or present employees by this law firm do not respond or provide any records unless they provide proper identification, and sign release of information by the employee in question.

If your business continues to receive a barraged of demand and threatening letters from Lawyers for Workplace Fairness, please proceed and file a criminal complaint with your local County District Attorney’s office, and contact California State Bar Attorney complaint hotline 800-843-9053or  calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/LawyerRegulation.aspx and file a complaint against the lawyer his or her name appears on the demand letter.

Do not give in to these extortionists demands. Fight back!!!