The word "whistleblowers" is often perceived with a negative connotation. Sometimes the stigma surrounding being a whistleblower prevents employees from disclosing an employer's violation of a state or federal statute. But whistleblowers shed light to wrongs and even...
If a California employee wishes to file a discrimination lawsuit against an employer, she/he must first file a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and obtain...
If a California resident is employed on an at-will basis, it means that this person or his or her employer may terminate a working relationship for any reason. Unless otherwise stated, all employment relationships are presumed to be at-will except in Montana. However,...
If you are a long term employee with a stellar performance record it might come as a shock if all of the sudden you were being written-up for trivial offenses. Maybe the write-ups were for things that never got you written-up before or maybe they were for things that...
Often times when an employee has been terminated, he or she feels as though the termination is wrongful. They may have been treated unfairly or given a reason for their termination that they know to be untrue. Whether or not a termination is wrongful from a legal...
Just because your employer has given a false reason for your termination does not necessarily mean that you have a case for wrongful termination. The key is whether or not the reason given by the employer is merely an excuse, or pretext, for an illegally motivated...
When I began practicing employment law, I kept asking myself the same questions: How is it possible an employer can [fill in the blank -- i.e. fire someone because of a disability?] How can employers keep knowingly and intentionally breaking discrimination, harassment...
Numerous federal and state statutes protect equal opportunity in the workplace. The analysis applicable under most of these laws derives from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) generally follows this federal...
There are many choices that a plaintiff must make when he or she decides to bring a lawsuit. A number of variables may affect the manner in which a case proceeds, and the judgment in which it ultimately results. One of the most important decisions that must be made at...
The concept of at-will employment can often seem unfair. Many workers who feel they have been fired unjustly hope to take legal action against their former employers, but are disappointed to discover that they do not have sufficient grounds to bring viable lawsuits...