Harassment & Discrimination
California has some of the strictest employment laws in the nation, preserving your right to receive fair treatment and equal benefits and protecting you from being exposed to hostile or discriminatory acts in the workplace.
Discrimination and Harassment Come in Many Forms
Workplace discrimination takes many forms, both explicit and more subtle, all negatively affecting the victim’s professional and personal life. Generally, discrimination means less favorable workplace conditions bases on an employee’s membership in one or more of the protected groups listed below. California law provides some of the strongest workplace protections in the nation but it takes an experienced attorney to help you fight for your rights.
Harassment is inappropriate or offensive conduct that is severe or pervasive enough to alter an employee’s working conditions. Harassment in the workplace is illegal where is it based one of the factors listed below.
These are various types of discrimination that are prohibited by the law:
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits discrimination against anyone over the age of 40.
It is illegal for an employer to treat an employee with a qualifying disability unfairly because of that disability.
Under the Equal Pay Act, employers are required to pay men and women the same wages for comparable work.
Gender or Sexual Orientation
If you are treated less favorably because of your sex or gender identity.
Hostile Work Environment
Hostile work environment cases exists when conduct or speech are intimidating, offensive, or abusive. Importantly, even a single act can be sufficient under the law to qualify as hostile work environment harassment if it is sufficiently severe.
This type of discrimination involves employees who are treated unfairly because they are from a different country or because of their ethnicity.
FEHA forbids any type of discrimination against a pregnant employee. This includes hiring, firing, promotions, and job assignments.
Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
Quid pro quo harassment cases include those where an employer makes certain job benefits–such as raises, promotions or continued employment–contingent on an employee’s acceptance of sexual advances or conduct.
If you are treated unfairly because your skin color or race, this is a form of race discrimination. In addition, you can claim race discrimination if you are treated unfairly because you are married to or associated with someone of a certain race or color.
Did You Know
California is the first state in the nation to recognize nonbinary as an accepted gender class.
It is unlawful for employers to harass or discriminate against you for exercising your religion, including for following religious dress and grooming practices.
In California, Companies can be held responsible for any harassing conduct perpetrated by their supervisory staff members.
Sexual harassment isn’t just about demands for sexual acts. It also includes being subjected to off-color jokes, nude photos, suggestive or degrading comments, and unwanted touching.
If you’ve experienced a distressing incident related to an issue like this, call us for a free case evaluation.
Our Practices are Guided by Integrity. We’ll protect what you deserve
We work tirelessly and fight tenaciously to hold rights abusers accountable.
Fight Discrimination and Harassment at the Source
“IS IT ILLEGAL, OR JUST UNFAIR?”
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