California Employment Lawyer Challenges Legality of Sheltered Workshops

LOS ANGELES — For many disabled citizens “sheltered workshops” are a way to find mainstream employment, but a class-action lawsuit claims the exact opposite has been occurring. The California employment lawyers at Keller Grover LLP, who advocate for employee rights, including those of disabled workers, report that a class action lawsuit has been filed that alleges these sheltered workshops are in violation of federal law.
The class-action lawsuit, which is believed to be the first of its kind in any state, was filed on behalf of the Oregon chapter of the Cerebral Palsy Association and eight individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Reuters reported.
The workshops, sometimes referred to as “work-activity programs,” provide jobs to disabled people who perform basic unskilled duties like packaging or simple assembly tasks. The programs, which are funded by state and local agencies and nonprofit groups, compensate the workers at below the minimum wage, which is in accordance with U.S. labor standards for piecework.