Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

Los Angeles employees enjoy numerous protections under state and federal law, including the right to be free from discrimination, retaliation, unsafe conditions, and other misconduct. Unfortunately, there are still far too many employers that violate the rights of their workers, causing physical, financial, and emotional harm. While you may realize that you do have legal remedies for addressing unlawful acts, you may not know where to begin with taking enforcement action.

At the Obagi Law Group, P.C., our team has extensive experience representing employees and in-depth knowledge regarding the relevant Los Angeles employment laws. If you have suffered mistreatment at work, you can count on us to pursue all remedies and compensation for your losses. Please contact our firm to set up a free consultation with a Los Angeles employment lawyer who can advise you on the specific issues. An overview of the laws, remedies, and the legal process may also be useful.

You can count on our team at the Obagi Law Group, P.C. to assist with a wide range of employment law issues. We have decades of combined experience fighting for employees who suffered harm because of employer misconduct, so we are prepared to advocate on your behalf. Please contact our office to speak to a Los Angeles employment lawyer, and read on for some information about our legal services.

Basics of Los Angeles Employment Laws

The two main statutes that protect workers in Los Angeles are Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). However, there are numerous additional employment laws and regulations at both the state and federal level. Together, this body of laws addresses a wide range of misconduct in the workplace. Our Los Angeles employment law attorneys at Obagi Law Group, P.C. are prepared to assist with:

Discrimination and Harassment

Discrimination takes many forms in the workplace and state and federal law prohibit all forms of it. Employees should never face discrimination based on their race, disability, gender, pregnancy, and more. Discrimination differs from harassment. While harassment involves behaviors not related to an employer’s job, such as going on dates, discrimination does involve normal job duties, such as promoting and firing workers. Proving discrimination in the workplace is very challenging, but an employment lawyer can help.

It is unlawful to treat employees differently because they possess characteristics that are protected by law. You may have legal remedies if you were the target of discrimination on account of:

Race, ethnicity, or national origin;
Religion;
Age;
Disability;
Sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, and other sex-related factors;
Marital status; and,
Many other characteristics.

In addition, sexual harassment is unlawful based upon discrimination laws. Employees have recourse for both hostile work environment and quid pro quo forms of sexual harassment.

Sexual Harassment

California recognizes two types of sexual harassment in the workplace. The first is quid pro quo harassment, which involves a person in a position of authority over an employee offering the worker something of value in exchange for sexual or romantic favors. For example, a boss may tell an employee they will be promoted if the worker goes on a date with them.

The other form of sexual harassment involves actions which create a hostile work environment. In order to prove a hostile work environment, the behavior must be persistent and pervasive enough to interfere with the employee’s work duties. A California employment lawyer can advise on whether behavior at the workplace constitutes sexual harassment.

Wrongful Termination

The majority of employees in California are considered at-will employees, which means employers can fire them at any time, and for almost any reason. However, there are several important exceptions to California’s at-will employment law. If you are fired based on your race, gender, religion, national origin, or other protected class, your employer has broken federal law.

Additionally, state law provides many employees protection from being fired for filing a whistleblower complaint, a workers’ compensation claim, and more. It is advisable that you speak to an employment lawyer any time you feel as though you were wrongfully terminated.

Wage and Hour Disputes

State law outlines the minimum wage all employees in California must receive for every hour they work. California law also stipulates that employees that work more than eight hours a day, 40 hours in one workweek, or six consecutive days in a workweek, receive one-and-a-half times their regular pay for every hour worked. Sometimes, employers will simply refuse to pay workers the wage they rightfully earned, or they refuse to pay them overtime. When employers make such refusals, employees can take legal action against them.

Your Remedies Under California Employment Laws

Your options depend on the type of employer grievance and many other factors. In many cases, you raise employment-related misconduct by failing a claim with the DFEH, though you may qualify to go directly to court through a Right-to-Sue process. Our lawyers at the Obagi Law Group, P.C. will help you navigate the legal process, through which you may be able to recover compensation or obtain equitable relief.

Discuss Your Options with a Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

While this overview of California employment laws and the legal process may be helpful, it is critical to retain experienced representation for assistance with your case. Our lawyers at the Obagi Law Group, P.C. are prepared to tackle the relevant issues, so please contact us by calling (310) 299-2675. We can schedule a no-cost consultation to review your situation and advise you on your rights.

California employees enjoy numerous protections under state and federal law, including the right to be free from discrimination, retaliation, unsafe conditions, and other misconduct. Unfortunately, there are still far too many employers that violate the rights of their workers, causing physical, financial, and emotional harm. While you may realize that you do have legal remedies for addressing unlawful acts, you may not know where to begin with taking enforcement action.

At the Obagi Law Group, P.C., our team has extensive experience representing employees and in-depth knowledge regarding the relevant employment laws. If you have suffered mistreatment at work, you can count on us to pursue all remedies and compensation for your losses. Please contact our firm to set up a free consultation with a Los Angeles employment lawyer who can advise you on the specific issues. An overview of the laws, remedies, and the legal process may also be useful.