Employment Law

---

The California Labor Code has some of the most employee-protective wage and hour provisions in the nation. Quite often, employees don't even know they have claims for unpaid overtime, reporting time pay, waiting time penalties, premium pay for meal periods or rest periods, standby time or other wage and hour claims. We have represented hundreds of thousands of satisfied wage claimants in individual and class claims in both state and federal court. We know what questions to ask, and we know the answers to your most common questions.

California is an at-will state, which means that, unless there is a contract providing otherwise, an employer or employee can end the relationship at any time for any reason. There are many exceptions to this rule, however, and terminations based upon protected activity or a protected class, such as race, religion, national origin, material status, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, can trigger enormous liability. If you think you've been wrongfully termination, we are well-equipped to assess your situation and advise you whether you have a strong case. If you are thinking about dismissing an employee, we can tell you whether the termination would expose you to liability.

If you have been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you  may be entitled to compensation or other remedies. Sexual  harassment claims can arise from unwelcome sexual advances,  comments or actions of a sexual nature, or offensive comments about you or your gender at work. Recoverable damages can include back pay and front pay, pain and suffering for emotional distress or even punitive damages. 

California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) protects California workers from discrimination based on factors such as race, religion, gender,  disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, and age (if over 40). Even if you haven't been fired, you may have a claim if you've been harassed, singled-out, denied raises or promotions or suffered any other cognizable adverse employment action.

Many employers in California are required to provide sick leave, parental leave, family or medical leave, and cannot terminate you or discriminate against you for taking such leave.

 Any disabled person who needs a reasonable accommodation to perform their job duties is entitled to such an accommodation in most instances, and employers are required to engage in an interactive process with disabled workers to identify and find ways to implement such accommodations.