Bay Area Employment Law Attorneys

Now, perhaps more than ever before, California workers are holding their employers accountable for providing safe workplaces that are free from harassment, threats, intimidation, hostility, and other illegal behaviors. For too long, toxic workplace cultures have been allowed to keep employees silent. Employees have demanded change. Every year, the California legislature passes more workplace protections that guarantee your rights while on the job. You should consult with an attorney if you have been subjected to any of the following behaviors in the workplace: 

Harassment

California has some of the most comprehensive sexual harassment laws in the country. Compared with other states, employers have more responsibilities for training and compliance, and a far greater variety of behaviors constitute sexual harassment. This means that California employees enjoy greater rights and legal protection when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace. It is, however, important to understand these rights and enforce them when they are violated. 

Retaliation

Both state and federal employment law prohibit employers from retaliating against an employee who reports violations of employment law to federal, state, or local authorities. Retaliation can take many forms. It can be as blatant as firing a whistleblower, but it does not have to be this drastic. Demotions, reduced responsibilities, pay cuts or freezes, or ineligibility for promotions can all be considered forms of retaliation under certain circumstances.

 Discrimination

State and federal law both prohibit discrimination in the workplace. As with other employment laws, California anti-discrimination laws tend to be more comprehensive than those in other states. For example, the discrimination statutes have recently been amended to include venture capital relationships. Before, an employer could only commit gender discrimination against an official employee. Now the law allows workers to file a gender discrimination lawsuit against a company with whom they had a venture capital relationship – either borrowing or lending – even if the plaintiff was not an official employee of the defendant. This is just one of many examples of ways in which California anti-discrimination laws are both broad and powerful.

Wrongful Termination

There are many unlawful reasons for the termination of a worker’s employment, including:

• The employee’s race (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
• The fact that the employee is pregnant or has given birth (Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978)
• The fact that the employee is aged forty or older (Age Discrimination in Employment Act)
• An employee’s disability, if the individual is otherwise qualified to perform the job (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)

These are just the protections under federal law. As with other areas of employment law, California state law offers more protection.

Experienced, Aggressive Bay Area Employment Law Attorneys

The culture of the California workplace is changing. Many illegal behaviors are stopping because brave employees have spoken up and held their employers accountable for following California employment laws. At Bogaards Law, we fight hard to defend employee’s workplace rights and know how to hold employers accountable for violating the law. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced Bay Area employment lawyers.