Los Angeles Employment Lawyer Blog

Recently over 600 female applicants settled a gender discrimination case against Zacky Farms in Fresno, California. These potential female employees said they were not hired for a certain position at the company because they were women. Not only did Zacky Farms pay the women who were discriminated against $325,000 in damages, but they also agreed to hire over 130 of the women who had brought the discrimination charges. If you have been discriminated against because of your gender, an experienced employment attorney can help you recover.

Both Federal and California law prohibit an employer to discriminate against an employee based on sex or gender. Federally, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in the workplace. Examples of discrimination include hiring, firing, demoting, and/or providing benefits to one group (race, religion, gender) but not another. What it comes down to is that if you have been treated differently because of your sex (male or female) and the different treatment has negatively affected the conditions or terms of your employment, you need to call an experienced employment attorney now.

The women in Fresno, California stood up for their rights and you should too. If you live in California and you believe that you have been or are currently the victim of sexual discrimination or discrimination of any sort, call the California law offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) today. Your consultation is free! And you will have the chance to speak with one of our experienced employment attorneys to hear how we can help you.

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The answer is No! An employee cannot be denied a promotion based on their national origin. The term “national origin” broadly refers to the country where you are born or where your ancestry comes from, and includes any display of the physical and cultural traits of a particular national group and is different from race discrimination. Your national origin is listed as its own protected category under the law, and though it is separate from race discrimination, an experienced employment lawyer will help you determine if you have two causes of action. Federal and California Law prohibit discrimination or harassment against an employee due to your race, age, national origin, religion, or disability. In California, the Fair Employment and Housing Act specifically prohibits race, color or national origin discrimination in hiring, training, or in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.

Do you believe that you were fired, overlooked for a promotion, or not hired because of your national origin or heritage? Are you being harassed at work due to where you were born or your ancestry? So long as you were qualified for the position in question, it is illegal to be denied a promotion because of your race, age, national origin, religion, or disability and it is illegal to harass you once you are there. Also, being fired from your job or not being hired for a job as a result of your national origin is illegal. An experienced attorney can help you determine if you were discriminated against based on your national origin. One way your employer can discriminate against you and your national heritage is by requiring that you and other employees only speak English in the workplace, which might place you at a disadvantage if English is not your primary language. It is also against the law for your current employer or a potential employer to ask you the origin of your last name, where you come from and/or whether or not you are of a mixed race unless it is done with the express purpose of complying with government laws regarding the reporting of ethnicity information. If you are denied equal employment opportunity because of your place of origin or ancestors’ place of origin, or because of you show the physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics of a national origin group, your employer is breaking the law and an experienced employment lawyer will help you defend your rights.

If you suspect you have ever been fired or have not been hired or promoted because of national origin discrimination, call the employment law offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP now! You can reach one of our experienced California employment attorneys at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) and receive a free consultation regarding your legal rights.

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Anahiem, California, as many of us know, is home to Disneyland; along with many other amusement parks and sports stadiums. The second largest city in Orange County, with a population of almost 350,000, Anaheim can proudly boast of its booming tourism industry. With the amusement parks, the numerous hotels and resorts, the baseball stadium, and the Anahiem Convention Center, many Anaheim and Orange County residents are employed in the tourism industry. While as those of us who are in the tourism and hospitality industries understand that the customer comes first, employees in these lines of business need to remember that their workplace needs cannot be sacrificed as a result of this need to please the customer.

A hostile work environment is never acceptable. Whether the hostility is a result of sexual harassment or race, national origin, religion, or gender discrimination, an experienced employment lawyer can help you determine if you are the victim of an unhealthy work environment. With almost half of Anaheim’s population made up of Latinos or Hispanics and another large percentage consisting of Asians and African Americans, the residents of Anahiem, California are diverse. This diversity among the residents of Anaheim might lead to diversity in the work place, which can often create tension and hostility.

Do you believe you have been a victim of racial, national origin, sexual orientation, or religious discrimination in your work place? Or have you been sexually harassed by your employer or another co-worker? An experienced employment lawyer can help. Our employment lawyers have practiced for years in Orange County and know how to fight for your rights. Call our employment attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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According to a recent USA Today survey, Long Beach, California is the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States. Because Long Beach is such an ethnically and racially diverse city, an employee may end up being the victim of racial, national origin, religion, or gender discrimination. Title VII, a Federal law, specifically prohibits intentional discrimination, as well as neutral job policies that disproportionately affect employees of a certain race or color and that are not related to the job and the needs of the business.

With a population of over 460,000, Long Beach is also one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County. Residents of Long Beach, known for the Port of Long Beach, are entitled the same rights as an employee as a resident of a smaller town. An experienced employment lawyer who is familiar with Long Beach will be able to help you ensure that your needs as an employee are being taken care of.

If you live in Long Beach, California, and you feel like you have been the victim of any type of discrimination in your workplace, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO). Our experienced employment attorneys understand the law and know your rights. Call now for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our knowledgeable employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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In a recent court case, a New Mexico judge ruled that a woman who had admitted to her employer that she had smoked marijuana could not be fired or discriminated against as a result of her drug use and awarded her $25,000 in damages. The woman, a 911 employee, informed her employer that she had smoked marijuana two years before. Along with two other employees, she was fired for admitting her drug use. The two other employees were given the opportunity to appeal their termination. The New Mexico woman was not given the same opportunity.

The woman claimed that her employer, the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, had singled her out because of complaints she had made about a supervisor. Or, in other words, the woman stated that she had been retaliated against by her employer. Retaliation is illegal both in California and throughout the United States.

Retaliation occurs when an employer takes an adverse (such as termination, refusal to hire, or demotion) against a covered individual because he or she engaged in a protected activity. A covered individual is an employee who has opposed unlawful practices, participated in proceedings, or requested accommodations related to employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability. In this case, the protected activity was filing a lawful complaint against her employer/supervisor.

Do you believe you have been discriminated against or retaliated against for admitting your past drug use? Experienced employment lawyers might be able to help you recover damages for any pain, suffering, or lost wages you may have incurred as a result of retaliation. Call our employment attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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In a recent California case, the court determined that an Ontario, California police officer had the right to expect his text messages would be private and not read by his employer, even though he was using a cell phone provided by the Ontario police Department. According to the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution and the CA Constitution, an employee has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his text messages. The CA Appellate Court decided this was the case even though the City, the police officer's employer, had informed the officer that he should have no expectation of privacy or confidentiality when using these resources. Additionally, the officer signed a form stating he understood that the City reserved the right to monitor and log all network activity including e-mail and Internet use, with or without notice. Still, the CA court determined that the employee's rights were violated by this unlawful search.

While emails sent using the company's server are not usually protected by the Fourth Amendment, the text messages you are sending on your company's phone might be protected from your employer's eyes. This means your employer cannot fire you, discriminate against you, or mistreat you because he has (probably unlawfully) read your text messages. An experienced California employment lawyer will help you determine if your rights are being violated.

Has your employer been reading your text messages? Has she also been treating you differently or discriminating against you as a result? If you live in California and you feel like your privacy has been violated or that you have been discriminated against as a result of your privacy being violated by your employer, call us at now at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) in CA for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment attorneys may be able to help you. Your call is completely confidential, and we are here to help.

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A CA police officer was discriminated against because he was gay, but by filing a lawsuit against the city, he was able to recover damages. The police officer had informed the Chief of Police that he was gay. When the officer was later denied another position in the force, and given what the court determined was a bad excuse for not receiving the position, he sued the California city claiming that he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation.

In CA it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of the employee’s sexual orientation, or even perceived orientation. That means that if you are gay, lesbian or bisexual, you are protected by law against harassment and discrimination due to your sexual orientation. If you have filed a report with the California Labor Commission within 30 days of the date the sexual orientation discrimination occurred, an employment lawyer might be able to help you sue in court. Like the police officer who won his case, you can claim future lost earnings and employment benefits, as well as pain and suffering and harm to your reputation for discrimination and retaliation.

If you live in California and are a victim of discrimination in your workplace, or believe you have been discriminated against in your office because of your sexual orientation, call us now at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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The California Labor Code states that your employer must provide you with safe working conditions, so it is within your rights under CA law to report unsafe conditions to your employer and to ask for your employer to implement corrective measures.. Your workplace environment must also be conducive to your health, and it is up to your employer to do everything it can to protect and safeguard you while you are within your work place. If your employer retaliates against you for reporting an unsafe work condition, an experienced employment attorney can help you defend your rights.

Examples of employer retaliation for reporting an unsafe workplace include termination, getting laid off, demotion, discrimination, or threatening any of the above. As an employee in the state of CA, you have the right to make oral or written complaints when you notice problems within your work environments. These complaints should never subject you to retaliation by your employer. If you are retaliated against as a result of reporting an unsafe working condition, the law is on your side. Experienced employment lawyers might be able to help you recover damages for any pain, suffering, or lost wages you may have incurred as a result of retaliation.

Call our employment attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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Gay marriage was legalized in California on June 17, 2008 which means that gay and lesbian same sex couples are now entitled to the same health benefits from their employer as straight couples. If you are gay or homosexual, not only can your employer not discriminate against you because of your sexual orientation, but under CA law, your employer must provide you and your partner with health insurance benefits equal to those of a straight couple. This is because benefits provided under state law or employer policy must be provided equally to same-sex spouses as is provided to spouses of the opposite sex. If your employer fails to do this, they are violating you legal rights and discriminating against you due to your sexual orientation. An experienced attorney can help ensure your work place needs are being met.

In addition to gay marriages performed in California, same-sex marriages validly entered into in a state outside California are now recognized as legal in CA and need to be recognized by your employer. This means your partner can be placed on your health plan at work and receive the same health insurance benefits you do.

So what should you do to ensure that you are receiving your legal rights in the workplace? Talk to your employer to ensure that you and your spouse are receiving the health insurance benefits you are entitled to as a gay or lesbian couple. If you feel your employer is not providing you and your partner with the respect and benefits a same sex couples deserves, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment attorneys may be able to help you. Your call is completely confidential, and we are here to help.

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It is illegal for potential employers to ask certain questions in a job interview, as these questions can be seen as discriminatory. While an interviewer can ask a question that relates to your ability to perform a particular job function, such as asking if you can prove that you are eligible to work in the US, federal law prohibits questions relating to personal characteristics that are not job-related. Questions about your race, age, sex, religion, national origin, or disability could be discriminatory and an employer is not allowed to not hire you because of race, age, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. An experienced employment attorney can held you determine if you have been discriminated against in a job interview.

Questions that are not allowed include:

• Are you married? Are you planning to get married?


• Do you have children? Are you planning to have children?


• Where were you born?


• What's your sexual orientation?


• Have you ever been arrested?

Any question from an interviewer about a legally protected categories such as your sexual orientation, age, religion, race, gender, national origin, or disability could be considered a form of discrimination and is illegal. If you suspect you have ever not been hired because of such discrimination, call us now at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights. Get your questions answered from one of our experienced employment attorneys now!

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Attention Deficit Disorder (also known as Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD) is a common mental disorder that affects 4% to 6% of the US population. ADHD could be affecting how you work, but you are protected by law. Did you know that the law requires that your employer provide you with reasonable accommodations to help you efficiently perform your job? Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder include hyperactivity, distractibility, impaired impulse control, and forgetfulness. Federal legislation has recognized ADHD as a disability and your employer also needs to recognize Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder as a disability. That means that your employer cannot discriminate against you because of your medical condition and an employment attorney can make sure your needs are represented. Examples of discrimination include discriminatory hiring, firing, or lack of accommodation.

If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you ever fail to pay close attention to detail? Or make careless mistakes? Do you have difficulty sustaining attention to a task? Or fail to follow instructions carefully or forget important details? Do you feel restless? Fidget with your hands or feet?


• Does your employer prevent you from taking time off work for a medical appointment? Or fail to provide you with reasonable on-site accommodations for your disability?

If you answered yes to these questions or have spoken with your employer about your medical condition and they refuse to accommodate you, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation in California regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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With over 2 million residents, and a booming growth rate, San Bernardino County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. New homes, jobs, and infrastructure are being built everyday, and coastal employers have found less expensive land and more ready workers by moving their industry to San Bernardino County. With all of this growth, employment violations are simply a byproduct of the amount of employers and workers that hold business in one of the many cities of San Bernardino County.

Whether it be racial or national origin discrimination, sexual harassment, worker’s compensation, or lost or unpaid wages, the skilled attorneys of Greenberg & Rudman LLP have been representing workers like you for years. With over 50 years of combined experience, the winning attorneys of Greenberg & Rudman know how to handle your case from start to finish, inside and out of the courtroom. Known for their friendly client relationships, experience in the courtroom, and winning track record, the attorneys of Greenberg and Rudman will fight to protect your rights and to get you the money you’ve worked hard to earn.

If you have an employment question, and you are a resident of San Bernardino County, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and how one of our experienced employment attorneys may be able to help you.

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Racial bias, or discrimination or harassment against a worker because of his or her race, is still prevalent in many businesses across California and the United States. In a recent case in U.S. District Court, supervisors of the Secret Service have been accused of sending racist emails and creating a hostile environment against non-white workers. Further, these emails and other conduct may have resulted in disallowing black agents the promotions they deserve.

Racial discrimination can occur in any employment setting. Whether it is a restaurant, office, professional driving or delivery service, or as seen here, even the highest of security jobs, the premise is simple. Those in management or in other positions create a hostile environment against those of another race, based solely on their racial characteristics. When you are denied promotions, pay raises, or even being hired due to your race, this is illegal and many Federal laws and State laws protect you. In this day and age it is especially heinous to be discriminated against because of the color of your skin, and these laws were put into effect to protect you.

If you believe that you are a victim of racial bias in your workplace, call the experienced attorneys of the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.

Story from Darryl Fears, The Washington Post 05/29/2008

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