Recent Blog Posts
Types of Workplace Retaliation
California state and federal laws protect California workers against harassment and discrimination in the workplace. These laws also prohibit employers from striking back against employees for exercising their legal rights, such as by terminating them for reporting harassment or discrimination in the workplace. Termination is just one form of workplace retaliation. See below for… Read More »
Is California an At-Will Employment State? What Does That Mean?
Most people have heard the phrase “at-will employment” or have been told that they are an “at-will employee.” Many people are, however, unsure of the exact meaning of the phrase. Does at-will employment mean that an employee can be terminated at any time for any reason? Are there no restrictions on how, when, and… Read More »
Can I be Fired while on Leave for Disability?
California is an “at-will” employment state, meaning that employers can fire their workers for just about any reason or no reason at all. California does, however, protect employees from being terminated based on a legally-protected status (such as race, gender, age, etc.) or for exercising a legally-protected right such as reporting harassment or discrimination…. Read More »
San Francisco Family and Medical Leave Lawyer Serving the Bay Area
Sometimes workers need to take a leave of absence for unforeseen circumstances. California state law and federal law both guarantee workers the right to take leave from employment for certain medical conditions and to care for newborn children. While U.S. paternity, maternity, and medical leave laws lag far behind many other western democracies, California… Read More »
How to File a Discrimination Claim in California
California is a state that has dedicated itself to rooting out and eliminating workplace discrimination. California has very strong anti-discrimination laws and an established process for bringing workplace discrimination claims. However, discrimination is still all-too-common; California’s state agency tasked with fielding discrimination complaints reported nearly 25,000 discrimination complaints filed by California workers in 2017… Read More »
Most Common Illegal Reasons to be Fired From Work in California
California law protects workers, dictating how, when, and under what circumstances an employee may legally be fired, laid off, let go, or otherwise terminated. Even with at-will employment, companies are not permitted to discriminate or retaliate against workers for improper reasons. Wrongful termination arises when an employer fires a worker in violation of a… Read More »
How to Know if You are in a Hostile Work Environment
Discrimination, retaliation, harassment, or other signs of a hostile work environment may not be as readily apparent as you might think. Most of us are conditioned to ignore confrontation and go with the flow, downplaying slights made against us. You may not realize that behavior that is actively harming your work life or your… Read More »
Amazon Faces Multiple Lawsuits Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination
Amazon is one of the largest employers in the U.S. and globally, tallying over 647,500 employees worldwide as of 2018. Regardless of its size, Amazon, like any other employer in the U.S., must comply with all labor and anti-discrimination laws nationally and within each state. A series of lawsuits alleges that Amazon’s U.S. warehouses… Read More »
What Kinds of Employee Benefits are Required in California?
California law requires employers to provide certain types of benefits to employees. Other benefits are not required by law but may have been guaranteed in the employment contract. Benefits are an important part of an employee’s overall compensation package, just like income and bonuses, and employers can be held accountable if they run afoul… Read More »
LGBT Police Officer Sues Claiming Discrimination
A former California Highway Patrol officer has brought a lawsuit against the CHP alleging that he suffered discrimination and felt unsafe at work as a result of his sexuality. The new lawsuit is one of a wave of lawsuits that have been brought against law-enforcement agencies across the U.S., at least 11 since 2016…. Read More »
