California Labor and Employment Lawyer

Companies can owe you damages or back pay for the dollar amounts they didn’t rightfully pay you. In California minimum wage cases, employers could also owe you liquidated damages. These damages are penalties that add additional money to the settlement you would collect.

You should speak with a California employment attorney to find out how to best handle your case so you recover the most in compensation possible. Your attorney assists you in filing a strong wage violation claim with the Department of Industrial Relations. Your attorney would also stand ready to file a lawsuit against your company if things aren’t resolved to your satisfaction.

A California labor attorney also provides important safeguards in case your employer breaks the law again by trying to retaliate against you for reporting a violation or filing a lawsuit. State law prohibits retaliation but that doesn’t mean a company would not engage in this unfair behavior. Your lawyer would file a lawsuit on your behalf if you received harsh treatment or were terminated.

For additional information on what to do if you are robbed of the wages you were promised, visit Maison Law’s page on California Wage and Hour Disputes.

California Workplace Harassment Protection

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a violation everyone is probably aware of, but there are many other forms of harassment that California employees are protected from. Harassment can come from coworkers, managers, owners, and others allowed onto a work site or into an office.

When you experience harassment over protected factors in the workplace, you should speak with a California Labor and Employment Lawyer immediately. Do not stay in such an unfit environment and don’t worry about your job status.

Allow a skilled Employment attorney to handle your case. Your lawyer will face those that have violated your rights so you don’t have to face them again. Your lawyer also protects your financial wellbeing while you are able to stay far away from a hostile environment.

You are likely protected under federal and state laws in California. The United States has its own list of prohibited discriminatory actions in the workplace, but California also offers specific protections for several more characteristics.

The NOLO Legal Guide lists these factors:

Federal law illegal discrimination:

• race
• color
• national origin
• religion
• sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions)
• disability
• age (40 and older)
• citizenship status, and
• genetic information.

California state law additional illegal discrimination:

• ancestry
• disability: physical or mental
• genetic information
• marital status
• sexual orientation
• gender identity and gender expression
• AIDS/HIV
• medical condition
• political activities or affiliations
• military or veteran status, and
• status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking.

NOLO also points out that several U.S. cities have enacted their own protected categories. For example, San Francisco law treats height and weight as protected classes.

If you suffer sexual harassment, Maison Law stands ready to defend your rights and help remove you from an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation. We can also file a claim for you after you’ve been paid far less than you deserve or have been treated unfairly due to your sex, age, or national origin.

For more information on what to do if you are a victim of workplace discrimination in California visit our page here.

California Employment Discrimination

Employment discrimination in California is defined by many of the guidelines listed above that signify harassment violations. However, this sort of discrimination involves all job-related factors such as unfair treatment in hiring, firing, promoting, and the division of work. Victims may be employees or applicants to companies. Discrimination might also entail different working conditions for different employees, and the separation of employees based on gender or national origin.

Work decisions can’t be made on the many categories above such as age, race, religion, or sex. California’s Civil Rights (CRD) enforces the laws safeguarding workers under The California Fair Employment and Housing Act. They have more information on California employment discrimination on their website.

These are the protected characteristics that employers could violate with acts of employment discrimination:

• Race, color
• Ancestry, national origin
• Religion, creed
• Age (40 and over)
• Disability, mental and physical
• Sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions)
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity, gender expression
• Medical condition
• Genetic information
• Marital status
• Military or veteran status

A Maison Law Labor and Employment Attorney is qualified to help victims file claims with the state’s CRD or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Your attorney will investigate your case and gather evidence against your employer. Your attorney will also have a strong case prepared if it is necessary to file a lawsuit against your employer to earn justice.

California Wrongful Termination Protection

Employees may not be terminated for any of the reasons listed above as protected classes. They may not be let go when a signed contract promises continued employment. Employees also can’t be fired for trying to exercise some of the federal and state rights listed in this article. These are all violations of California’s wrongful termination laws.

Employees may not be fired because of their religion, their national origin, or their age. They also can’t be fired for refusing to break the law.

In each case, fired employees could file a legal claim against a company or smaller business and in some cases have their jobs restored and lost wages and benefits reimbursed. They could also seek damages for the emotional trauma they’ve been put through after being fired.

In some cases, punitive damages are possible. A judge assigns punitive damages to punish a company when its actions have been especially reckless and hurtful. It’s a punishment for the company, but the claimant would receive this additional money.

It’s important to trust a California labor attorney with your case so that you don’t forfeit many of the benefits that you may not have known were available to you. Your employer hopes you remain in the dark about things like emotional damages and punitive damages. Don’t allow them to escape taking full responsibility for their actions for yourself and for the next employee they try this on.

California Immigration Employment Protection

Immigrant employees can feel very vulnerable when working for an employer who may or may not care about their welfare and fair treatment. Fortunately, California employment and labor laws protect immigrants who are legally in the country and those who are undocumented.

Businesses, farms, construction companies, and other fields that employ immigrants are not allowed to commit wage violations. Employers are also prohibited from allowing harassing behavior or engaging in employment discrimination. They also must avoid all forms of retaliation against an immigrant worker who speaks out against these violations.

Workers in the United States on the H-1B visa program enjoy these rights too. They are protected when they expose violations committed by employers who sponsor them.

Maison Law is a full-service immigration law firm that represents people in many different types of immigration cases. Contact us today with any immigration legal matter to receive a free consultation.