Recent Blog Posts
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 »
Bystander Effect of Workplace Harassment
There’s a famous saying (often misattributed to Edmund Burke but poignant nevertheless): “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Workplace harassment is a form of evil experienced by people around the United States daily. It may take the form of “hostile work environment” harassment–words and… Read More »
What is an IME?
If you have been injured and filed a claim for workers’ compensation or personal injury, you might have been directed to participate in an independent medical examination (IME) or qualified medical evaluation. It can be confusing to know which type of medical examination applies under which circumstances and how they might affect your claims…. Read More »
What to Do if Employer Ignores Harassment Claim
In the State of California, employees are protected against harassment in the workplace. You have the right to be free from sexual harassment as well as harassment based on any other protected characteristic such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. You have the right to be free from quid pro quo harassment as… Read More »
Quid Pro Quo Harassment in the Workplace: What is It?
California and federal laws prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. There are different forms of sexual harassment, and it is not always easy to detect. Many people have heard the phrase “quid pro quo” harassment but are not clear on what that actually means in the labor law context. Continue reading to learn about… Read More »
Discrimination in Employment Layoffs During COVID-19
The novel coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy. Supply chains have suffered interruptions, shops were forced to shutter their doors for months on end, and employees have needed significantly more sick days to avoid spreading the virus. Many businesses have been forced to downsize as a means of cost-cutting, even with government… Read More »