Wrongful Termination. Employees who have been fired or laid off may have a claim for wrongful termination. For example, employers may not fire their employees for being a certain race or religion. Employers may not fire their employees for speaking out about unlawful practices in the workplace. They can't fire an employee who refuses a supervisor's sexual advances. Not every termination is unlawful; we can help determine whether you have a claim.
Harassment. Co-workers and supervisors who use crude or offensive language in the workplace may create a "hostile working environment." They might hang up inappropriate posters on the walls, look at offensive websites at the workplace, or send inappropriate jokes on work email accounts. Sometimes a co-worker or supervisor will make a sexual advance, or demand sexual favors in exchange for a promotion. Or, a supervisor will promote a co-worker who has agreed to provide sexual favors. If any of this conduct is occurring in your workplace, you may have a claim for harassment under California law.
Severance Agreements. If you have been terminated, you might be in a position to negotiate a severance agreement. We can help negotiate a severance agreement on your behalf, or review a severance agreement that your employer has already provided. We may charge hourly for this work, but we won't charge you unless a retainer agreement is signed first.
Discrimination. California employers may not discriminate against employees based on their race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy status, and a host of other protected characteristics. Discrimination can take many forms. It might be a denied promotion, a refusal to hire, or a wrongful termination. Employers might pay women less than men for performing similar work, or might pay employees of a certain race more than employees of a different race. If you suspect that you are being treated differently than your co-workers because of a protected characteristic, you might have a claim for discrimination.
Protected Leave. Both California and federal law allow employees who qualify to take a leave of absence to care for their own medical condition, or to care for a family member who is ill. Employers sometimes refuse to let employees to take leave. Employers sometimes fire employees who are out on leave, or refuse to let them come back to work at the end of a leave. For example, an employer might fire an employee on leave for cancer treatments, or to take care of a newborn child. If you have been fired while on leave, or retaliated against for taking a leave, you might have a claim.
Failure to Accommodate a Disability. Employees with disabilities have significant rights to accommodations in the workplace. Employers may be required to modify an employee's schedule, provide an employee with special furniture or equipment, or allow an employee to take longer breaks. Employers may not fire an employee for being disabled, or for requesting a reasonable accommodation.
Unpaid Wages. Many employees do not realize that they haven't been paid properly. California has strict overtime rules requiring employers to pay hourly employees premium wages when they work more than 8 hours in a workday, or 40 hours in a workweek. Employers must provide hourly employees with proper meal and rest breaks. Sometimes, employers misclassify employees as "independent contractors" or as salaried employees to avoid their legal obligations. We can help you determine whether you have a wage claim against your employer.
Contact Teukolsky Law today at (626) 522-8982 or [email protected] to discuss your workplace situation.