Category: Discrimination

If you have a disability are the victim of workplace disability discrimination, you should know that California federal employment laws offer powerful protections. It is unlawful to treat a person with a disability or perceived disability differently than other employees or job applicants. Employers are also required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to enable disabled employees…

What You Need To Know If You Suspect You Are The Victim Of Reverse Discrimination At Your Job When most people think of discrimination, they think of people being discriminated against at their job based on race, sex, disability, age, or another protected class. These forms of discrimination are illegal and, sadly, too prevalent in…

Your Right To Reasonable Accommodation Of Your Disability In Relation To Leave Time Provided By Your Employer The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) make it illegal to discriminate against people based on a disability both as a job applicant and an employee. On May 9, 2016, the Equal Employment…

California’s FEHA Gives You Important Protections Against National Origin Discrimination At Your Job Although it is illegal to discriminate against employees based on their national origin, this continues to be a problem at California workplaces. It probably should not be a surprise, since California has a large and robust immigrant population. However, being part of…

Language Discrimination In Employment: Know Your Rights With California’s diverse immigrant population, language discrimination can be a barrier to employees obtaining and retaining jobs they are qualified for. This can cause a huge financial toll on their families when they lose job opportunities and wages. Those who encounter discrimination can also suffer emotional distress and embarrassment if they…

California Law Prohibits Employers From Discriminating Against Employees Based On Sexual Orientation It has been illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants and employees based on sexual orientation since 2000—the year the Fair Employment andHousing Act (FEHA) was amended to prohibit it.This amendment also provides victims of discrimination the basis for filing employment discrimination claims….

FEHA’s Genetic Anti-Discrimination Law Gives You More Protection At Work Than Federal Laws On January 1, 2012, the California Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (CalGINA) took effect in California to ban genetic discrimination in employment, housing, mortgage lending, education, and public accommodations. It is an amendment to California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and provides…

If You Are A Transgender Employee, The FEHA Has You Covered Transgender people often feel discriminated against in many areas of their lives—including their jobs. However, on January 2, 2004, California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) was amended to prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity. This law gives people who identify themselves  as transgender more protections than…

FEHA’s New Amendments Require Employers To Create An Anti-Discrimination Policy California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) already provides employees with more protections against discrimination in the workplace than federal laws. These include applying to any employer who employs at least five employees and not having a cap on the compensatory damages for pain and…

The Differences Between Disparate Treatment And Disparate Impact In Employment Discrimination Cases Both federal laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on a number of characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, or national origin. California residents…

Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Discrimination In California California’s anti-discrimination laws offer far more protection to employees than the federal laws currently do. This is particularly true in the area of LGBT rights, as California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, known as “the FEHA,” protects California employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation and includes, homosexual, bisexual,…

Protections Under The ADEA Are Different Than Other Anti-Discrimination Laws If you are an older worker, you might have seen yourself passed over for promotion in favor of younger workers or found it more difficult to find a new job if you were laid off from your old one. This might have happened if you were…

Ways Your Employer Could Be Discriminating Against You Based On Your Gender Although it has been illegal to discriminate against a person based on their sex or gender for decades, this continues to be a big problem for employees. Sex or gender discrimination occurs when people are treated differently in their jobs because they are a woman or man….

The Basics You Need To Know About Major Laws Prohibiting Employment Discrimination No one wants to be treated unfairly at work, especially if they are hard-working employees giving their best every day. Sometimes people are mistreated because of personality conflicts or incompetent supervisors—unfair but legal. However, other times people are not hired, are paid less,…

Did Your Employer Violate Any Of These Employment Discrimination Laws? Work plays a huge role in many Americans lives. Although it has been illegal to engage in employment discrimination for over 50 years, many employers still continue to discriminate against applicants and employees. Victims often pay the price in lost jobs, lower wages, poor treatment, and lack…

Can My Employer Fire Me For Being An Alcoholic Or Drug Addict? Alcoholism and drug addiction are medically recognized diseases that affect millions of Americans, and under both California and federal law, they are considered disabilities. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to permit affected employees to seek treatment and are prohibited from discriminating against employees because…

When Can My California Employer Require Me To Take A Drug Test? If your employer has asked you to take drug test, you might be concerned about losing your job and have questions about your rights under the law. Thankfully, California law includes strong protections for the privacy rights of employees. These rights are included in California’s constitution and ensure that…

What Exactly Is Employment Discrimination And How Is It Proven? Employment lawyers hear it all the time, “my boss discriminated against me.” Often however, what people think of as discrimination and the type of discrimination that violates California or federal employment laws are two different things. When someone feels unfairly treated by a boss or supervisor, or after a termination…

What Does California Law Say About Religious Discrimination At Work? California and federal laws protect employees from discrimination at work based on their religious beliefs. The law requires employers to make “reasonable accommodations” for their employees’ sincerely-held religious beliefs, as well as religious “observances and practices.” California law also prohibits discrimination or retaliation against employees for requesting an…

If You Have A Disability, Your Employer Is Required To Make “Reasonable Accommodations” To Permit You To Continue Working If you are an employee in California with a disability, your employer is required to make reasonable accommodations necessary to allow you to continue working. This applies to any disability, whether it is physical or mental, that your employer becomes…

Disability Discrimination: What Is It? If you are an employee in California, be thankful that your state has some of the toughest protections against disability discrimination in the country. Even so, disability discrimination affects thousands of California employees every year. A March 2015 report from the the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)…

Employees Associated With A Disabled Person Are Entitled To Reasonable Accomodations In an April 4, 2016 decision, Castro-Ramirez v. Dependable Highway Express, Inc., a California appeals court ruled that employers must provide reasonable accommodations for employees who are “associated with” a disabled person. The employee who brought the case needed schedule accommodations to administer his son’s kidney dialysis, was entitled…

DFEH: Employers Must Allow Transgender Employees Access To Restrooms, Showers And Locker Rooms Consistent With Their Gender Identity. California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has issued new guidelines requiring employers to allow transgender employees access to restroom, shower and locker room facilities that correspond with their gender identity. The DFEH’s director, Kevin Kish, stated…