Everyone in the Golden State should be able to work in an environment free of all forms of discrimination, abuse, and harassment based on sex, age, disability, or membership in any number of other protected categories. Fortunately, a harassment-free workplace is not just a matter of common courtesy, but something you have the explicit right to expect under both federal and state law.
Between those two levels of legal authority, you have numerous protections against harassment in Mar Vista, which impose significant requirements on your employer and which, if needed, our workplace harassment attorney could help you proactively enforce. Here is a brief overview of the rights provided by the federal and state government regarding workplace discrimination, which a lawyer could explain in more detail during an initial consultation.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1974 prohibits employers from discriminating against a current or potential employee on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, or country of origin. Discrimination in this context includes:
Furthermore, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 extended these protections to include workplace discrimination based on someone being 40 years of age or older. The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990 likewise provided protections against harassment for workers in Mar Vista and throughout the United States with physical disabilities, certain mental impairments, disfiguring injuries like burn scars, and pre-existing conditions like cancer.
At the state level, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) under California Government Code § 12900 reinforces federal protections for all the protected classes covered by Title VII, the ADEA, and the ADA. However, FEHA also adds some additional protected classes, including:
It is important to note as well that FEHA applies to all employers in California with five or more employees. By comparison, Title VII and the ADA only apply to employers with 15 or more employees, and the ADEA only applies to employers with 20 or more employees.
One last thing worth mentioning when it comes to protections against harassment is that all employers in Mar Vista with five or more employees are required to ensure all their supervisory and non-supervisory employees receive sexual harassment training that meets standards set by the California Civil Rights Department. Failure to meet this requirement can lead to administrative penalties and potentially other sanctions being levied against an employer, even if none of their employees have yet been unlawfully sexually harassed.
Understanding your rights under both federal and state laws, as well as the specific protections against harassment in Mar Vista you have thanks to those laws, is crucial to ensuring you are treated fairly in the workplace. If your rights in this regard or any other have been violated by your supervisor, a coworker, or the owner(s) of the company you work for, it is crucial to understand that you can take legal action to ensure your rights are respected.
We could provide the custom-tailored guidance and support you need to obtain the best possible resolution from your employment-related lawsuit. Call today to schedule a meeting and discuss your potential next steps.
