CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWYER

Get Help if You Suspect Wage and Hour Violations or Discrimination in the Workplace

It is not uncommon for employers to exploit or take advantage of workers in a down economy where so many people are merely relieved to have a job. Under no circumstances, however, do you have to give up your rights as a worker. Contact an experienced employment attorney in California who can explain the state and federal laws as they apply to your situation.

Get help with the following issues:

Wage, Hour and Overtime Violations

These violations typically occur when overtime and meal breaks are not provided and employers fail to pay for those hours lost. Other illegal practices concern overtime pay when you work more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week or from being improperly classified as an exempt worker.

Wrongful Termination

Were you suddenly fired from your job for no reason even though you have a written contract or do you suspect it was for a discriminatory reason such as retaliation, a disability or because of your sexual preference, national origin or religion? At-will employees can be fired at any time so long as the reason is not discriminatory but you may not be an at-will worker and you may have been terminated for reasons other than “good cause.”.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment takes many forms and is more than just an overt sexual gesture or threat to fire or demote you if you do not agree to sexual favors. It includes working in a hostile environment where regular slurs, ridicule, intimidation, groping and other toxic behavior renders the workplace inhospitable for you or any reasonable person.

Breach of Employment Agreements

A written employment contract sets forth the material terms of your employment including the reasons for dismissing you. Even if you have an oral agreement, a California employment lawyer may be able to find implied provisions based on oral promises or established standards and practices that, if breached, can mean you are entitled to relief including lost compensation.

Race, Gender and Age Discrimination

All workers are protected from unlawful discrimination in hiring, pay, promotion, leave, termination and in receiving certain benefits. Employers may adopt policies or engage in practices that operate to disproportionately affect certain workers based on race, gender, age, national origin, sexual preference, pregnancy, national origin and religion.

Employment Class Action

Some claims affect a large number of people in similar ways so that a class action is the most efficient or economical way to remedy the harm. Employment issues that have been the subject of class action lawsuits include overtime pay, leave conditions, pay inequality, failure to promote and any other issue in which certain groups are treated differently than other groups of employees. Such cases must be handled by an employment lawyer in California who has handled the complexities involved in class action lawsuits.