The fact this person could not get an attorney to represent them says a lot.
All the local lawyers have conflicts of interest?
I know someone suing their landlord and he had to find a lawyer 3 hours away because all the local lawyers work with this property management company.
Not really. Most all companies have Binding Arbitration built into employment contracts.
What lawyer wants to have their pay limited thusly?
You can hire your own lawyer for the proceedings but no jackpot payouts in arbitration.
Not really. It only says that they don’t have enough to make a case where the cost of litigation will be more than what it’s worth. I’ve talked to labor lawyers before and attorneys usually won’t take the case and advise you not to pursue it unless it’s relatively straightforward to win.