Whether your separation from a job is voluntary or involuntary, amicable or contentious, you need to receive a final payment of whatever wages you earned through your last day worked. While the circumstances of a separation rarely affect your entitlement to a final paycheck, the circumstances can dictate how and when you receive that final... Read...
A job termination can be doubly devastating when it takes you by surprise. Fortunately, California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires plants and certain employers to notify their employees in advance of large events that will affect the job status of many workers. If an employer does not follow the state’s WARN Act... Read...
State and federal laws do not tolerate discriminatory bias in the workplace. That includes a prohibition against discrimination based on national origin. If your employer treats you differently because of your national origin, perceived origin, or association with individuals of a specific nationality, your employer has broken the law. You can recover damages through a... Read...
Confronting your boss or alerting authorities about misconduct you witness at work is often intimidating, but we are all better off when you do it. If you are fearful about the repercussions of exposing your employer’s misdeeds, remember that several California whistleblower protection statutes can shield you from workplace retaliation. Below, we will review California... Read...
If you have been on a job hunt or sought a promotion, you know that employer and coworker references are usually vital parts of the process. The statements others in your workplace make about you can also significantly affect your professional and public reputation. If an employer or coworker speaks dishonestly about you to others,... Read...
A disability should not block a qualified person from gainful employment. An employee with a disability should also have equal access to a civil workplace. If a former, current, or prospective employer mistreated you because of a disability, state and federal laws give you the right to seek compensation, accommodations, and other legal relief. And... Read...
In most lawsuits, the plaintiff files a complaint on his or her own behalf. But in a class-action lawsuit, one or multiple plaintiffs bring a claim on behalf of a larger group. The larger group is called the “class.” Therefore, class-action certification is the process of defining the class. In other words, what common injury... Read...
You have a right to work in an environment without discrimination. State and federal laws create and protect this right. You also have a right to seek relief in a civil complaint if your employer discriminates against you. But what kind of relief can you expect from a fight to protect your rights? Are you... Read...
When an employment relationship does not work out, you want to leave the bad experience behind you. But what happens when an employer tells lies about you that follow you and tarnish your reputation? If your employer does not have a defense, you can sue them for defamation of character. Proving defamation of character is... Read...
In March 2022, President Biden signed the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021.” This forced arbitration of sexual assault act invalidates any agreements that prevent a party from filing a sexual assault or sexual harassment in court. In the context of the private sector, it restricts employers from forcing... Read...