If you’re an employee in Irvine, you may need the services of an employment lawyer at some point. Employment law is a complex and ever-changing area of law, and it can be difficult to keep up with all the changes. An Irvine employment lawyer can help you understand your rights as an employee and protect your interests if you have a problem with your employer.
California laws protect the rights of workers throughout Orange County, including Irvine, CA. Employment law attorney, Mohamed Eldessouky, works tirelessly to ensure CA employees are aware of these rights and understand how to enforce them. Mr. Eldessouky is experienced at litigating common workplace violations at the Westminster Courthouse. Any employee who has had their workplace rights violated can rely on Eldessouky Law to provide legal guidance to right this wrong.
Our employment law firm routinely helps employees in this city combat the nasty effects of a hostile work environment. We have successfully helped workers assert their rights against discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation at work. If your employer is breaking the law in any way, contact our Irvine discrimination and wrongful termination attorney. We will help you understand your rights and how to enforce them against your employer.
If you have questions about your rights as an employee in California or wish to discuss your case confidentially with one of our experienced California employment attorneys, contact our office at 714-409-8991 or fill out one of our contact forms online.
Is Harassment the Same as Discrimination?
Although they can often happen in the same scenario, harassment and discrimination are quite different. Harassment occurs when social interactions at work become toxic or abusive, leading to a hostile work environment. Discrimination, on the other hand, is usually tied to negative employment decisions that are taken against a protected person. Serri v. Santa Clara University (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 830, 869 [172 Cal.Rptr.3d 732].
There are many similarities between them though, and this can often make it difficult to understand how your rights have been violated. Harassment and discrimination both involve unlawful conduct that is targeted against someone else because of their sex, age, race, disability or other protected characteristic. If you suspect you were a victim of harassment or discrimination, you should speak to an attorney immediately.
Common Types of Discrimination in CA
Discrimination can affect different people in different ways. Some of the most common types of discrimination in CA include:
- Disability discrimination: This is discrimination because of a physical or mental disability, or on the basis of a medical condition.
- Racial discrimination: This is discrimination on account of race, national origin, ancestry or skin color.
- Sex discrimination: Sex discrimination is unfair treatment due to a person’s sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
- Age discrimination: In many instances, people can be treated unfairly because of their age. This mostly applies to people that have reached the age of 40 and above.
- Retaliation: This includes treating someone unfairly because they reported or complained about illegal conduct at work.
Wrongful Termination Attorneys in Irvine, CA
Eldessouky Law has protected the rights of employees throughout Orange County and Irvine, CA for almost ten years. We have worked very hard on behalf of our clients to put a stop to unlawful conduct at their workplace and recover fair compensation for their injuries.
California laws specify how employees must be treated at work. It is not enough for an employer to only talk about these laws while violations still occur in the workplace. They must actively work to prevent these events from happening and immediately put a stop to unlawful conduct at work.
Top Employers in Irvine, CA
Irvine, CA is regarded as one of the best places to live in the US. The city provides its almost 290,000 residents with remarkable opportunities to earn and create the lifestyle they desire.
Some of the largest employers in Irvine, CA include:
- University of California, Irvine: 21,700
- Irvine Unified School District: 3,024
- Edwards Lifesciences: 2,987
- Blizzard Entertainment: 2,724
- Broadcom: 2,604
- Glidewell Laboratories: 1,960
- Parker Hannifin: 1,800
- Nationstar: 1,556
- B. Braun: 1,370
- Western Digital: 1,300
All employers in California, including Irvine, are required to respect and protect the rights of employees. When these employers fail in their duty, it is our obligation to hold them responsible and help our clients obtain fair compensation for the harm they have suffered.
Common Employee Legal Claims Against Employers in Irvine, California
At Eldessouky Law, we provide legal guidance and unmatched representation to employees throughout Orange County and Irvine, CA. Our Irvine wrongful termination attorneys deeply understand the California labor laws and know how to hold erring employers accountable.
Our employment law practice areas in Irvine, CA include:
- Discrimination
- Hostile work environment
- Severance agreements, terms, and enforcement
- Sexual harassment
- Wage and hour cases, including overtime pay discrepancy claims
- Wrongful termination, including retaliation cases, including whistleblower claims
No matter what type of unlawful conduct you are facing at work, our discrimination and wrongful termination attorney can help you recover. Schedule a free consultation with our attorneys today to learn more about your rights and how to hold your employer accountable.
How Does California Law Protect Me Against Harassment?
The purpose of the anti-harassment laws in California is to ensure that employees work in an environment that is safe and fair. California laws prevents employers from maintaining environments that are hostile, abusive or intimidating. Apart from the fact that having to work in such an environment will affect productivity, it can also affect your self-esteem and efficacy at work.
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act includes wide protections for employees in this regard. It is illegal to target an employee for harassing conduct simply because of their age, sex or other protected characteristic. These protected characteristics include:
- Age (over 40)
- Ancestry, national origin
- Disability, mental and physical
- Gender identity or gender expression
- Genetic information
- Marital status
- Medical condition
- Military and veteran status
- Race, color
- Religion, creed
- Sex or gender, including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions
- Sexual orientation
Employers may not subject workers to verbal abuse or threats, physical intimidation or psychological torture. It is illegal to cause them physical pain or humiliation by sending hurtful messages, making crude jokes or inappropriate comments.
The test of whether you have suffered unlawful or harassing conduct at work is to ask why the conduct occurred. If it was directed at you solely or mostly because of your protected characteristic, then you may have a right to compensation.
California laws entitle employees who have been harassed in this manner to file a complaint to right the harm they have suffered. You may file a complaint against your employer for their personal actions, or that of a supervisor or co-worker.
If you are not entirely clear on whether you belong to a protected class or which class you belong to, our Irvine hostile work environment attorneys can help.
How Am I Protected Against Discrimination in California?
California laws also include extensive protection against discrimination at work. There is simply no reason why an employer should target certain employees for unfair treatment because of their race, sex or other characteristic. This is why the anti-discrimination provide expansive rights for employees and include tough measures against discrimination.
Similar to harassment, discrimination relates to unfair treatment based on a protected characteristic. But unlike harassment, it can happen in one of two ways. It may either a result of disparate treatment or disparate impact.
Disparate treatment is active unfair treatment by an employer such as demotion, denial or benefits or termination. It is a positive action by an employee that results in less favorable treatment compared to other employees. California Jury Instructions CACI 2500.
Disparate impact, on the other hand, is a result of unfair workplace policies that affect a certain group above others. It occurs where an employment or selection policy disproportionately affects an employee or group or employees because of their protected characteristic. For instance, unfairly insisting on a language restriction at work may be disparate impact discrimination. California Jury Instructions CACI 2502.
It can be difficult to tell what type of discrimination you have suffered and how your rights have been violated. If you are in this position, call us at Eldessouky Law immediately to gain a better understanding of your rights.
Reach Out to Eldessouky Law today
If you suspect you are being discriminated against or harassed at work, call 714-409-8991 to schedule a free consultation today. Our hostile work environment and discrimination attorney in Irvine, CA can help you make sense of the conduct you are facing at work.
