Fighting for Your Rights Against Workplace Discrimination in California
It is always challenging when you are dismissed from a position. There is always a sense of loss and injustice when this occurs. But what if you have been asked to leave for reasons based purely on your race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability? Discrimination of any kind in the workplace is not tolerated in California. You may have a case for wrongful termination. You don’t have to fight it alone.
If you have faced discrimination of any sort in the workplace, you need an aggressive and tenacious lawyer to fight for you. California’s employment laws can be confusing and complex. You need an educated and experienced legal team at your side. At Geonetta & Frucht, LLP, you will find the help you require. Our award-winning and experienced employment lawyers will fight aggressively for your rights. We will only quit once you get the compensation you are entitled to. Call our office at 510-250-2743 for a free consultation.
What is Employment Discrimination?
Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats employees differently from their colleagues due to race, gender, orientation, nationality, age, religion, disability, or pregnancy. In California, it violates the employee’s rights to behave this way. If you are a victim of any form of discrimination in your workplace, it needs to stop immediately. The dedicated employment law attorneys at Geonetta & Frucht represent victims of workplace discrimination in the San Francisco Bay and throughout Northern California. We will help you get the compensation you are entitled to. If you are a victim of workplace discrimination, take the first steps toward getting your life back and call the attorneys of Geonetta & Frucht for your free consultation today.
How Does California Employment Law Protect My Rights?
The Fair Housing and Employment Act of California forbids workplace discrimination based upon race, color, or religion; national origin, ancestry, or mental or physical disability; medical condition, age, marital status, or sexual orientation; or pregnancy; and sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. This means that an employer cannot, under any circumstances, treat you differently from your colleagues based solely on any of these things.
Furthermore, there are multiple federal laws prohibiting workplace discrimination. These include:
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 declares inTitle VII that there can be no discrimination due to race, sex, national origin, religion, or retaliation for protected EEO activity;
- The Civil Rights Act of 1991 created specific remedies for prevailing parties and prohibited certain discriminatory practices.
- The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 forbids discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
- Equal Pay Act (EPA), bans discrimination in the payment of wages to men and women when performing equal work in the same establishment;
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) shields employees age 40 and older from employer discrimination in hiring, discharge, pay, promotions, fringe benefits, and other aspects of employment;
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act outlaws discrimination based on genetic information.
How Are Employment Discrimination Cases Fought?
At Geonetta & Frucht, LLP, our employment lawyers prefer to avoid a courtroom trial whenever possible by obtaining an out-of-courtroom settlement agreeable to all parties. When this is impossible, we will not settle until you are awarded the damages you deserve. No one should be made to feel inferior in their work environment. Our employment discrimination lawyers will fight aggressively for you. We fight for you.
What Are My Responsibilities in a Trial?
As the complainant, you have specific responsibilities should a trial be held. Primarily, you carry the burden of proof. You must prove through evidence that the agency (your employer) discriminated against you and that you are entitled to damages for your case. The burden of proof for an employment discrimination trial differs from a criminal trial. The judge will apply the “preponderance of evidence” standard instead of the standard you may be familiar with from criminal proceedings of “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The preponderance of evidence refers to how the court considers the evidence presented. The court will deliberate over which evidence produces the stronger impression, is more convincing, and carries more weight. Your employment discrimination lawyer will help you obtain, organize, and present your evidence to the court. After the trial concludes, the judge will issue a judgment, and you may be entitled to damages.
What Types of Damages Are Awarded for Employment Discrimination?
Every case is different, and therefore, no complete prediction can be made about the outcome of your case. Generally speaking, however, there are two types of compensation often awarded to victims of workplace discrimination. They are:
- Compensatory Damages– Compensatory damages pay victims for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the loss of employment. These may include things like expenses for job searches or medical expenses. Compensatory damages also cover things related to the trauma you experience, like mental anguish or loss of enjoyment of life.
- Punitive Damages—Punitive damages are awarded when an employer has been especially malicious in discriminatory actions. They punish the employer for this behavior.
Based on the evidence presented, you may be eligible for one or both types of damages. We work for you.
When Should I Contact an Employment Discrimination Attorney?
No one should have to go to work and be made to feel inferior. If you are the victim of workplace discrimination based on race, gender, orientation, nationality, age, religion, disability, or pregnancy, your employer has broken the law and must be stopped. Call the offices of Geonetta & Frucht, LLP, at 510-250-2743 for your free consultation.
