Pasadena Employment Lawyer

Pasadena Employment Attorney

What Can a Pasadena Employment Attorney Help Me With?

It can be tempting to forgo attorney representation during your legal case. Whether you would like to minimize costs or find yourself too intimidated to share your workplace experience, people regularly choose to represent themselves in disputes against their employers. However, it is easy to get confused by complexities within the legal system.

Without the experience of a Pasadena employment attorney, you may end up walking away from your dispute in a disadvantaged position. In fact, self-representation can end up costing you more than what you might pay an attorney. Employers are often armed with powerful legal counsel that can’t be matched by an employee on their own.

Regardless of where you are in your employment claim, you do not have to navigate it alone. Understanding the types of discrimination in California is essential to building a strong case. Your chances of success following a legal dispute with your employer can be greatly bolstered by the attention and care provided by a lawyer. Our team at MM Law has handled a wide range of employment issues, including:

• Workplace discrimination and harassment – California recognizes many protected classes, but employees find themselves targets or victims of workplace discrimination all too frequently. If you have been mistreated, denied promotions, or harassed on account of your relation to one of these protected classes, you can take legal action.
• Hostile work environments – Hostile work environments are created when your workplace is subject to inappropriate, unwelcome, or offensive behavior. Derogatory jokes, physical harassment, and offensive gestures are all ways in which a hostile work environment can be built.
• Wrongful termination – If your employer fires you for unjust reasons, including belonging to or joining one of the protected classes recognized by California, you may be a victim of wrongful termination.
• Disability accommodations – Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees. If your employer refuses to make these accommodations or denies you a place on account of your disability, you can file a claim against them.
• Religious accommodations – Employers must accommodate your religious needs, practices, and schedules. Refusing to do so creates grounds for a legal claim.
• Family and medical leave – If you have been injured, require medical treatment, or must attend to family needs, an employer legally cannot retaliate against you.
• Sexual harassment – Sexual harassment can take many forms, including sexual advances and unwelcome, inappropriate contact. Proving sexual harassment in the workplace often requires documenting incidents, gathering witness statements, and saving any relevant communications to support your claim.
• Retaliation – Retaliation occurs when an employer punishes an employee for engaging in a protected activity. Protected activities include things like filing a complaint for sexual harassment or filing for workers’ compensation after an injury. Retaliation can take many different forms, like wrongful termination, demotion, suspension, reassignment, and more.
• Whistleblowing – If you have reported illegal activity occurring within your workplace, your employer cannot legally punish you for it. Whistleblowing is a protected activity.
• Wage and hours violations – Every state has specific requirements for the payment of employees. You can file a claim against your employer if they have failed to pay minimum wage or overtime pay. An employer may also commit wage theft if they do not pay you for all hours worked. Adequate lunch and rest breaks are required by law, as is the ability to provide workers’ compensation insurance to employees injured on the job.

If you are unsure whether or not your circumstances warrant an employment claim, a consultation with an attorney can help you. Our team is prepared to look at the facts of your unique case and find a path of action that suits your individual needs. We aim to provide comprehensive legal counsel through transparency, integrity, and the utmost respect.

Unique Protections Against Discrimination Under California Employment Law

California has some of the most protective measures for employees against discrimination and harassment in the workplace. While there are protected classes recognized across the United States by the federal government, California recognizes several additional classes and protects employees from discrimination based on these characteristics in the workplace.

The protected classes recognized by California law include:

• Age
• Ancestry
• Color
• Disability
• Genetic Background
• Gender Expression and Identity
• Marital Status
• Medical Condition and History
• Military Status
• Nationality
• Race
• Religion
• Reproductive Health
• Sex and Gender
• Sexual Orientation

Proof of Discrimination

Despite these additional classes protected under California law, many challenges can arise when filing a discrimination claim. In order to build a strong case for discrimination, you will need to prove that your mistreatment was a direct result of prejudice against one of these protected classes.

Collecting proof of discrimination can be difficult, as it requires you to view your employer’s actions objectively, even if they have caused you harm. Direct evidence of unfair treatment by your employer, like emails, co-worker testimony, and transcriptions of meetings, can help you establish a firm basis of validity in the eyes of a California court.

If you believe your employer has discriminated against you, an attorney can assist you in filing a claim against them. California provides several forms of remedy for workplace discrimination and harassment, such as:

• Reinstatement
• Promotion
• Punitive damages
• Damages for emotional distress
• Front pay and/or back pay
• Attorney fees
• Cease-and-desist orders

Although there are remedies for workplace misconduct that involve returning to your employer, this may not be desirable to you. An attorney can help you decide which forms of compensation are applicable to your situation.

How Much Does a Pasadena Employment Attorney Cost?

When deciding to hire a lawyer in Pasadena to represent your case, the cost of employment attorney services can be a significant concern for some. At MM Law, we accept all our cases on a contingency basis, meaning we are only paid if we manage to obtain compensation for you. We want to make discussing your claim as risk-free and rewarding for you as possible.

Choosing MM Law to Represent Your Employment Claim

We acknowledge how emotionally taxing it can be when deciding to file a claim against your employer. Many people fear retaliation from their employers, which prevents them from raising their valid concerns and achieving fair, equitable treatment. Our goal at MM Law is to achieve success for your claim while making you feel supported and empowered.

FAQs

What Are My Rights as an Employee in California?

As an employee in California, your rights include:

• Rest and meal breaks
• Minimum wage and overtime pay
• A safe and healthy work environment
• Protection against retaliation
• Benefits if unemployed or injured

If you feel that your employer has overstepped your rights, you may be able to file a claim against them and receive compensation.

Can I Sue My Employer in California?

You can sue your employer in California if they have engaged in behavior that violates California law. However, depending on the kind of compensation you are seeking, suing your employer may not be the most rewarding option. After reviewing the terms of your case, the team at MM Law can help you decide how to address your claim.

What Is Unfair Termination of Employment in California?

Unfair termination of employment in California occurs when your employer fires you on a basis that is prohibited under California employment law. Although many California workers are employed “at will,” companies cannot legally terminate for the following reasons:

• Discrimination (based on protected classes)
• Retaliation
• Breach of contractual termination terms
• Violation of public policy – You cannot legally be terminated from a job for engaging in a protected activity, such as filing a claim for workers’ compensation or being a whistleblower against illegal workplace activity.

Can I Sue My Employer for Stress and Anxiety in California?

It is possible to sue your employer for stress and anxiety in California. We must be able to prove that your job has negatively impacted your quality of life and caused you emotional distress. This can be through knowingly creating a hostile work environment with extreme demands and abusive behavior or through willfully ignoring existing hostility within the workplace.

Contact the Team at MM Law Today for Employment Law Defense

If you believe you have been mistreated by your employer in a way that challenges California employment law, it is crucial to seek knowledgeable representation as soon as possible. Our team can support you through this endeavor with compassion and empathy. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with a Pasadena employment lawyer and see what we can do for you.