Bay Area Employment Discrimination Attorneys
There is a popular belief that anyone can be fired at any time for any reason. That is not true. While California is an at-will employment state, that does not mean you can be fired based on race, gender, marital status, physical or mental disability, religion, pregnancy or nationality. Every employee in California has rights protecting him/her from workplace discrimination, retaliation, intimidation and illegal harassment.
Workplace rights are enforced when someone speaks up and when someone fights back. The process begins with a confidential talk with an experienced employee rights attorney.
Protected classes in California
State and federal laws protect you from discrimination in the workplace based on any of the following factors:
- Gender
- Race
- Sexual orientation
- Disability
- HIV/AIDS
- Pregnancy
- Age
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
Employment discrimination takes different forms. In some cases, an employee might be passed over for promotions or raises. In other cases, an employee might be the victim of wrongful termination. In all cases, racial discrimination and sexual discrimination are wrong, as are instances of discrimination based on membership in any protected class.
Workplace harassment also takes many forms, including repeated demands or requests for sexual favors, crude jokes about sexual behavior or orientation, inappropriate e-mails, derogatory comments and demeaning tone or language.
In too many workplaces, employees are harassed or discriminated against because they are HIV positive or have AIDS. If you have been a victim of improper behavior related to an illness or disability, contact an employee rights lawyer at Bracamontes & Vlasak who will work with you to put an end to the behavior.
If you were prevented from taking a leave of absence from work due to a pregnancy or to care for an infant or seriously ill member of your immediate family, contact us to discuss a possible violation of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA).
