Trust Perona, Langer, Beck and Harrison for advice and top-quality representation following workplace discrimination.
Over 200 years ago, the founding fathers identified equality as a core value of our nation in the Declaration of Independence. While this was a beautiful idea, in practice few men—and no women—were actually treated as equals at that time. Over the years, many long civil rights battles brought progress and American workers now have strong guarantees of equal treatment in the workplace regardless of their race, nationality, sex, age, disability, or religion.
However, because various civil rights laws were enacted piecemeal, today we have a very confusing tangle of complex rules and standards regarding workplace discrimination. The fact that California also has its own set of broader anti-discrimination laws covering additional employers and additional protected characteristics only adds to the confusion.
The good news is, you do not have to understand all the details of the law yourself in order to exercise your right to equal treatment in the workplace. Instead, you can rely on the experienced discrimination attorneys at PLBH to protect your rights in the face of any type of discrimination, including:
- Sex & Gender Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- Sexual Orientation, Identity, or Expression Discrimination
- Age Discrimination
- Disability Discrimination
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Reverse Discrimination
- Ethnic Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
We will advise you as to whether your complaint should be handled under federal law or California law and provide representation and guidance every step of the way.
How to Tell If You Have a Valid Discrimination Complaint
If you suspect you have been discriminated against at work, you need to ask yourself:
Does the law apply to my employer?
In California, anti-discrimination laws apply to all companies with at least 5 employees.
Does my employer treat me differently because of my age (if over 40), race, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic described under California law?
In order to pursue a discrimination claim, you must show that you were treated differently than other workers due to your membership in a protected group. For example, if a woman is getting paid less than her male coworkers purely because she is a woman, this is obviously discriminatory. But if she is getting paid less because she is the most junior member of the team, the fact that she is a woman is irrelevant and the pay gap is not discriminatory.
Discriminatory treatment is often related to:
- Hiring and firing
- Promotion and demotion
- Allocating raises and benefits
- Assigning work and projects
- Negotiating leaves of absence
- Other aspects of the terms and conditions of employment
It is important to understand that your employer does not have to be deliberately acting on prejudice for discrimination to occur. When seemingly neutral policies disproportionately affect a certain protected group, this can provide grounds for a discrimination claim.
Now You May Wonder…
…What Can I Achieve with a Discrimination Action?
If you have experienced discrimination in the workplace, legal action can provide relief in two main ways. First of all, if you have suffered an adverse job action such as wrongful termination, a pay cut, or being passed over for a raise, a court can order your employer to give you your job back, reinstate pay, or may be awarded other monetary damages.
However, many discrimination victims do not want to return to a workplace where they are not valued or respected. If you feel this way, it is still worth bringing a lawsuit against your employer because you can still be awarded monetary damages. You can get compensation for lost pay and emotional stress, and if your employer’s mistreatment was especially egregious, you may also be awarded punitive damages.
Why Choose Perona, Langer, Beck and Harrison
At PLBMSH, we work closely with every client to make sure we understand their goals and priorities. Whether you hope to continue working in your job or not, we will do everything in our power to make sure you receive justice and compensation for the discrimination you have suffered. We have ample experience in all kinds of discrimination cases and an excellent track record of resolving cases in arbitration/mediation and litigation.
Call (800) 435-7542 now for a free initial consultation.