Employment Discrimination in California

Do You Need to Speak to a Lawyer Experienced in Workplace Discrimination? Call Our Firm Today.

Are you employed in California and experienced discrimination at work? Did you get passed over for a job, a raise, or a new position because of, for example, your race or gender? Do you believe your employer fired you simply because of your religion or your sexuality?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to consult an employment discrimination attorney in California experienced with California law. Both California state and federal laws protect employees from discrimination in the workplace. When employers engage in discrimination, they face serious consequences for violating these laws.

Unfortunately, employees often face an uphill battle proving employment discrimination. This is partly due to California’s “at-will” employment laws. That is why employees need an employment discrimination attorney who can fight for them from the very start.

What Is Employment Discrimination?

Both federal and state laws protect employees with specific protected characteristics from discrimination at work.

Under California law, protected classes in California include:

Race
Color
Religion
Gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and/ or related medical conditions)
Gender identity, gender expression
Sexual orientation
Marital status
Medical Condition
Disability
Genetic information
Request for family care leave
Request for leave for an employee’s own serious health condition
Military or veteran status
National origin
Ancestry
Request for Pregnancy Disability Leave
Retaliation for reporting patient abuse in tax-supported institutions
Age (over 40)

You have rights under federal anti-discrimination laws, as well as California anti-discrimination laws. Our attorneys have experience handling all types of California employment discrimination issues.

Types of Discrimination in the Workplace

Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination does still occur in the workplace. For example, racial discrimination may include not getting a deserved promotion because of your race, or receiving a lower income than a co-worker of a different race. No matter how racial discrimination occurs, it is illegal.

Workers who believe that they have been racially discriminated against can seek justice to hold their employers accountable. A California employment discrimination attorney may be able to help you find the evidence you need and potentially represent you in court.

Age Discrimination

Employees over the age of 40 have protections under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967. Employers are not allowed to mistreat or demote employees simply because of their age. You may be able to seek monetary damages if you believe you suffered age discrimination at any point during your employment, including:

Hiring process
Salary or compensation
Firing or laying off
Promotions

Gender Discrimination

Women in particular still face undue discrimination in the workplace. For example, discrimination might occur if a woman becomes pregnant or if she must take time off of work to care for her children. Gender discrimination due to pregnancy may result in receiving lower compensation or losing a deserved promotion.

Proving gender discrimination in California may be difficult. Plaintiffs face a high burden of proof, which is where an attorney experienced in gender discrimination lawsuits may be able to help win their case.

Disability Discrimination

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California laws, employers cannot discriminate against disabled employees. This means that an employer may not mistreat or refuse to hire a qualified disabled individual. They must also agree to reasonable work accommodations. These accommodations help disabled workers maintain employment.

California’s “at-will” employment laws may make it difficult to prove that employment termination occurred because of a disability. An experienced employment lawyer can address these issues to see what your legal options may be.

Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. Takes Discrimination Cases Nationwide. Contact Our Law Firm Today.

If you believe you have been discriminated against in the workplace, contact our law firm. Our lawyers experienced in discrimination lawsuits can help you determine if you have a case.

At Grant & Eisenhofer P.A., our attorneys help California employees hold their employers accountable after they suffered discrimination in the workplace. Contact us today to learn more about your legal options.