The federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) tries to strike a balance between employee rights and the rights of employers. In particular, the NLRA does not mandate that workers have unions, but it does allow workers to engage in concerted activity to improve their conditions of employment. This concerted activity can take many forms, such… Read More
California employees are protected from discrimination and harassment based on race. Both the federal Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act make racial discrimination illegal. Unfortunately, racial discrimination is still fairly common. In 2017, 28,528 charges were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging… Read More
According to statistics kept by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), instances of workplace discrimination continue to decline. For 2017, 84,254 discrimination charges were filed with the EEOC—the lowest number in a decade. Nevertheless, discrimination continues to occur. In this article, we highlight some of the most pervasive types of discriminations in the workplace in… Read More
Workplace sexual harassment has been in the news lately. Many of the women coming forward in the #MeToo movement have been reporting abuse and harassment at the hands of their bosses. If you have suffered sexual harassment, you are not alone. However, sexual harassment is a complex topic because it is not illegal to socialize… Read More
Gender discrimination laws in California are infinitely more complex than most other states. California now requires employers to take transgender identity and expression into consideration. The new regulations, which were approved by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) in May of 2017, went into effect in July, 2017. The new regulations expand… Read More
Congratulations To Our 2018 Scholarship Recipients! Megan Rodriguez Megan spent 5 years serving in the United States Air Force and has a robust number of experiences dealing with veterans around California. She has been a member of the California State Senate assisting veterans with benefits and resources. Currently, Megan is working hard towards a graduate… Read More
Whistleblowers are modern day heroes, alerting government authorities to illegal activity. However, blowing the whistle on your employer can come with consequences. In particular, your boss might retaliate against you through demotion, exclusion, or general hostility. If you have suffered an adverse employment action after blowing the whistle, you can file a California whistleblower protection… Read More
California and federal law give employees substantial rights, and you can report your employer if they violate one of them. For example, an employer cannot discriminate on the basis of a protected characteristic or require you to break the law. If you report this illegal activity, then your employer might retaliate against you. Sometimes, it… Read More
The California Fair Pay Act signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown provides additional protection for equal pay in the state. California employers must offer equal pay for “substantially similar work,” though employers can offer different pay in certain situations. New Requirements Under the old California law, employers were required to provide equal pay only… Read More
Every employee, no matter what position they are in, the level they are at in their career, or for whom they work, is entitled to a safe and non-hostile work environment. If a work environment becomes hostile, that employee is entitled to pursue legal action. But, you may wonder, what does and does not constitute… Read More