Stay Informed and Empowered!

Silhouettes of a group of laid-off employees with their boss standing nearby.

On April 22, 2025, San Francisco-based LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (LightHouse), under the leadership of Brandon Cox, Interim CEO, laid off about 30 people. No prior notification was given, so everyone was understandably shocked and upset. Some of the laid-off workers have been with LightHouse for decades. This sudden loss of employment, which LightHouse attributes to fiscal challenges but which we insist are due to yearslong mismanagement, will mean a frantic struggle to adapt to a harsh new reality: moving out of a place that has long been called home; no money to feed a family, including little ones; loss of healthcare benefits that kept serious illness at bay or existing conditions more manageable; and so much more.

In this brief blog dedicated to our LightHouse friends who have been or may in the future be impacted by Cox's cruel personnel decisions, we share the following information. We must emphasize that just because something seems legal does not mean it is morally and ethically acceptable. Indeed, laws are constantly changing, allowing heartless employers to exploit gaps through unchecked abuse of power.

Laws Protecting Employees

1. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) requires all establishments with 75 employees to notify employees at least 60 days before a mass layoff. A "mass layoff" is defined as 50 employees laid off within 30 days.

2. If you are 40 years or older, you may have protections under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) regarding a termination or layoff. In addition, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) provides protections involving severance agreements; specifically, the law requires employers to provide at least 21 days for a severance agreement to be considered and 7 days for the employee to revoke it.

3. California's Labor Code Section 1102.5 prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who disclose information about "potential violations of law or noncompliance with rules." Please note that the California Labor Commissioner's Office enforces this provision, while other anti-retaliation laws are enforced by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD); the CRD handles retaliation claims involving discrimination against protected characteristics such as disability, gender, or race.

4. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) bans discrimination and harassment based on a wide range of protected classes such as disability, sex, race, color, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, medical condition, and other protected characteristics. If your termination or layoff occurred shortly after you experienced or opposed discrimination, you may have a discrimination and retaliation claim.

5. The California Privacy Rights Act applies to employers, requiring them to notify employees about how their data is collected and used and obtain employee consent in certain circumstances.

6. California's Government Code 12964 prohibits employers from including nondisclosure provisions in employment agreements that prevent employees from discussing or disclosing unlawful conduct in the workplace.

7. The Silenced No More Act of 2021, building upon the Stand Together Against Nondisclosure Act of 2018 (STAND Act), further restricts NDAs and prevents the use of non-disparagement clauses in employment agreements, including settlement and severance agreements involving harassment and discrimination claims for all protected classes.

It is important to note that other state and federal laws and regulations, or local ordinances, may apply to you as an employee. If you have any questions or concerns about the information in this blog, please get in touch with us.

Disclaimer

The Decertify LightHouse Now (DLN) Campaign does not provide legal services. As such, nothing in this blog should be interpreted as legal advice. The contents of this page are intended for your information only. You are strongly encouraged to contact a competent employment attorney.