Employment Law 101
How an Employee in California Can Sue Their Employer for Unlawful Conduct
California is known for having some of the strongest employee protection laws in the country. However, unlawful conduct by employers—such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage theft, or wrongful termination—still occurs far too often. If you’re an employee in California who believes your rights have been violated, you may have grounds to sue your employer. Here’s how the process typically works and what you need to know.
Why Employees in California Should Hire an Experienced Employment Law Attorney When Facing Unlawful Treatment
If you’re an employee in California who believes you’ve been treated unlawfully by your employer—whether through wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, unpaid wages, or harassment—it’s important to understand that you have legal rights. But asserting those rights effectively often requires more than just determination; it requires the strategic guidance of an experienced employment law attorney.
Understanding Economic Damages in Employment Law Cases in California
When your rights as an employee are violated, whether through wrongful termination, wage theft, or discrimination, you may be entitled to economic damages under California employment law. At Malatesta Law, an employment law firm in Encino, employment lawyer Andrew Malatesta helps workers recover the economic damages they are entitled to under California law for their employers unlawful conduct.
Understanding Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Employees in California
In California, employees are entitled to certain protections under state law, especially when it comes to pregnancy and workplace discrimination. One of the key protections includes the right to reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees, as outlined under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA).
What To Do When Wrongfully Terminated in Los Angeles
Wrongful termination in California occurs when an employer fires an employee for illegal reasons. This may include discriminatory firing, which happens if an employee is fired because of their race, gender, age, or other protected characteristics. Retaliation is when an employee is fired for reporting illegal activities or unsafe working conditions. A breach of contract occurs if a termination violates the terms of an employment contract.
Defamation: What Is It?
Defamation involves the making of a false statement of fact about another person. Specifically, defamation is “a publication that is false, defamatory, unprivileged, and causes injury or damage.”
Employment Law 101: What are the statute of limitations for possible employment law claims?
A statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit on a particular claim. In order to bring a lawsuit against an employer for a certain claim, the lawsuit must be filed within the applicable statute of limitations for the claims asserted.
I’ve Been Fired – What To Do
First, pursuant to Labor Code Section 201, when an employee is terminated, the employer must pay the employee all of their earned and unpaid wages immediately. If the employer does not pay the employee all of their earned and unpaid wages immediately, the employee can recover, as a penalty, their daily wages for each day that they do not receive all of their earned and unpaid wages for up to thirty days.
Non-Compete Agreements – What to Know
Generally Unenforceable
As a general rule, a non-compete agreement in an employment contract or a severance agreement is void as against public policy.
Wrongful Termination: When Does This Occur?
Most employees in California have “at-will” employment. This means that the employee can be terminated at any time, for any reason, so long as it is not an illegal reason.