Recent Blog Posts
What is a reasonable accommodation for a disability?
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination in employment against a “qualified individual with a disability.” Additionally, California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) imposes a similar obligation on an even greater number of employers than the ADA does. A qualified individual with a disability is defined as a person… Read More »
If Your Employer Will Not Accommodate You, You Need to Act
High-risk pregnancies can be alarming. If you experience complications during your pregnancy, you might have serious concerns about your health or the health of your child. Regardless, you may be in a financial situation that requires you to continue working. Employers are required to provide accommodations for pregnancy, including high-risk pregnancy. What should you… Read More »
Signs You’re in a Hostile Work Environment
Sometimes, you’re in a workplace environment and it simply doesn’t feel right. In your gut, you know that you, and maybe other coworkers, are not comfortable. There’s an unpleasant pattern of behavior. Maybe it’s the way supervisors treat certain people, or maybe it’s the constant barrage of off-color jokes made by coworkers. Your feelings… Read More »
How to Prevent Workplace Discrimination in California
As an employee in California, you have the right to be free from unlawful discrimination. Your employer has a legal obligation to treat you the same as other similarly situated employees, regardless of your gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, or other protected characteristics. Employers that lack appropriate policies and procedures designed to… Read More »
When Is an Employer Liable for Sexual Harassment at Work?
California lawmakers have enacted several laws and regulations aimed at stopping sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment, unfortunately, remains a major problem in the state and across the country. One of the major factors contributing to the continued prevalence of sexual harassment is a corporate culture that permits and even fosters such harassment…. Read More »
Discrimination and Hidden Disabilities
California state and federal laws prohibit discrimination against employees or job applicants with disabilities. Often, an employee’s disability is apparent: they’re blind, they’re in a wheelchair, they use a hearing aid, etc. Many disabilities are not so readily apparent, however, but they are no less real. Employees cannot make discriminatory decisions in hiring, firing,… Read More »
Does California Workers’ Comp Law Recognize Purely Mental Injury Claims?
Not all injuries are obvious at first glance. In fact, not all injuries are physical. A psychological injury can be just as devastating and just as debilitating as a physical injury. People who suffer from severe depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions can find it nearly impossible to work–just as they would with… Read More »
Does It Get Harder to Change Jobs When You Get Older?
Changing jobs can feel like a young person’s game. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics back up this feeling: The median tenure for workers aged 25 to 34 is 3.2 years, while the average job tenure for workers aged 65 or older is 10.3 years. Young people switch jobs to advance their careers,… Read More »
Steps to Take After Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment is a common occurrence in workplaces across the country, even in California, and even in the modern era. Victims of harassment may not know where to turn when they experience such conduct. Read on for a discussion of the major steps to take after you’ve experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the… Read More »
What is the Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment?
Federal and California state law prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. Many employees and employers are not clear on what actually constitutes sexual harassment. Is it harassment to ask out another employee on a date, should they refuse? Is it only harassment if a supervisor threatens to fire an employee for refusing a sexual… Read More »