Too many employers exploit the imbalance of power and put unjust pressure on their employees. Unfortunately, most employees who face such illegal treatment don’t know about their civil rights at work. Too many employees who may have some knowledge about their rights are understandably too scared to speak up because they are worried about being disciplined or fired.
If you are facing sexual harassment, have any disability discrimination, unjust wage cuts, or any other type of discrimination at work, an experienced El Segundo employee rights lawyer could help explain your rights, represent you against your employer, and aggressively fight for you against the injustice you are facing.
The California Fair Employment in Housing Act (FEHA) and the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) prohibit harassment and discrimination in employment. Most people know that employers cannot discriminate because of any person’s race, but the FEHA also protects people based on their:
Federal and CA employee civil rights laws create a web of special protections against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to these protected classes because they have historically faced targeted injustice. Unfortunately, these powerful employee civil rights laws can sometimes be confusing and are constantly evolving.
For example, California and other states recently expanded their civil rights to provide anti-discrimination and anti-harassment protections to employees of color who choose to wear their hair naturally. In addition, many California employees with physical or mental disabilities are often confused or simply unaware of how to request reasonable on-the-job accommodations or request disability leave. An experienced El Segundo employee civil rights lawyer could help you understand how these laws fit together and advise you on how to protect your rights.
Under both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California’s Family Rights Act (CFRA), all employees have the fundamental civil right to take an unpaid leave of absence from work. Both the FMLA and CFRA apply only to employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months. However, while the FMLA applies only to employers with at least 50 employees, the CFRA applies to employers with as few as 5 employees.
Employees meeting these requirements have the right to take up to 12 weeks of medical leave for their own medical issues or to care for a sick family member. With very limited exceptions, California employers must reinstate the employee to the exact same job after they return and maintain any group health insurance during the employee’s leave of absence.
Under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (PDLL), all pregnant employees have the right to receive on-the-job pregnancy accommodations. In addition, pregnant employees have the right to take intermittent or continuous unpaid leave from work for up to 4 months. In addition, the CFRA gives all parents the civil right to take leave from work after their child is born for baby bonding.
Employees who report employers to regulatory agencies for wage violations, discrimination, securities improprieties, environmental issues, and crimes often face retaliation from disgruntled employers. In addition to a web of federal, state, and local laws that protect specific types of whistleblowers, California employees are protected by the general whistleblower statute under Labor Code § 1102.5, which protects employees who suffer any form of retaliation after reporting or refusing to participate in any unlawful activity on the job.
Common retaliatory acts against employee whistleblowers include:
Workplace retaliation causes tremendous emotional distress for targeted victims and creates a toxic work environment throughout the workplace. The many California employers who follow the law every day recognize the value of creating a fair, safe, productive workplace. Unfortunately, too many companies don’t recognize these values. That’s why, when any California employee is facing retaliation from an employer, our El Segundo lawyers offer the necessary legal support and guidance to uphold employee rights.
California’s minimum wage laws are among the most generous in the country, with a $16.00 per hour minimum generally but $17.27 in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The federal minimum wage is only $7.25, and employers who attempt to pay the lower rate are engaging in wage theft.
Employees who work more than 8 hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek are also entitled to overtime and double-time pay. Our El Segundo attorneys keep employees posted about what we are doing to resolve their employee civil rights cases. We fight hard every day to recover lost wages as well as damages for the human losses suffered by victims of employee civil rights violations.
As an employee, you are protected from egregious treatment by your boss. Whether you are facing discrimination, retaliation, or issues with fair pay, we understand the stress of needing a job while wanting to fight for your fights.
If you have any questions at all about what your employee civil rights are or how to enforce them, contact the experienced, tough, and caring trial attorneys at Employee Civil Rights Group. Our El Segundo employee rights lawyers will offer you the personal service and dedicated representation you deserve.
