Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Attorney
We handle all types of unlawful discrimination cases including but not limited to discrimination based on: age, disability, gender, national origin, pregnancy, race/skin color, religion, and sexual orientation.
Racial discrimination
Race discrimination occurs when you are treated unfavorably because of your race, and/or the stereotypes and assumptions about your abilities because of your race. Discrimination on the basis of skin color is also prohibited (e.g., a light skinned supervisor cannot discriminate against a dark skinned employee of the same race on the basis of skin color).
National origin or ancestry discrimination
National origin discrimination is discrimination based on your birthplace, the country where you born, or where your ancestors came from. This type of discrimination is prohibited. These protections also extend to any display of physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics of a particular national group. For example, it is illegal for an employer to deny you a promotion because of your accent.
Gender discrimination
Discrimination on the basis of sex/gender (e.g., biological differences between men and women) is evident when you are treated differently or held back because of your gender including your gender identity and gender expression. Women and other minorities often receive less pay than their male counterparts or have to do more work for the same pay and/or are denied the same advancement opportunities because of a glass ceiling. Other gender discrimination examples include promoting female employees in name only or starting them at a lower position than their male colleagues.
Sexual orientation discrimination
An employer cannot deny you the same opportunities received by others because of your sexual preference or orientation (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender identity or gender expression). These protections also apply to transgender employees. Discrimination based on an individual’s failure to conform to gender norms, e.g., man’s failure to conform to stereotypical behavior of someone else’s idea of a “typical” man may fall into this category of prohibited sexual orientation discrimination.
Religious discrimination
Religious discrimination occurs when you are treated negatively because of your religion, religious creed, beliefs, observance or practice. Employer’s failure to accommodate your religious practices may also give rise to a claim of religious discrimination. However, a religious corporation may restrict employment in positions involving religious duties to persons who adhere to that religion.
Pregnancy discrimination
It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against you because of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, lactation, or any related medical condition (e.g., an employer may not fire you for seeking an abortion or taking time off work to undergo in vitro fertilization.). It is likewise illegal for an employer to treat you negatively because you are trying to become pregnant.
Age discrimination
California law protecting individuals against age discrimination applies to individuals who are are 40 years old or older. Age of 40 is a protected characteristic. Moreover, employers are required to allow you to continue working beyond any retirement date contained in any private pension or retirement plan if you are still capable of doing so.
Disability discrimination
Individuals suffering from a disability and/or medical condition are entitled to seek, obtain, and hold employment without discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability. Disability discrimination occurs when employers violate these protections and deny necessary accommodations that would enable you to continue working.
You may be discriminated against because of more than one protected characteristic
The foregoing were some examples of unlawful discrimination. However, it is common for an employer to discriminate for multiple reasons. Unlawful discrimination is another form of abuse of power. Just like a typical bully, abusers of power target the more vulnerable. For example, you may be discriminated against because of age and age related disability by the same employer. An employer may treat male African-Americans and/or White women more favorably than Female African-American employees. An employer may deny medical accommodation to a whistleblower knowing that he cannot continue to work without the accommodation. This is not an exhaustive list of all the creative ways employers seek to violate the law.
You are protected from discrimination if you are affiliated with a protected group
Protection from racial and/or other forms of unlawful discrimination also extends to individuals who are associated with a member of a racial and/or protected group. For example, it is illegal to terminate a white employee for protesting illegal discrimination of African-American employees (known is whistleblowing).
Protecting you from employment discrimination
Chose an advocate that focuses on employment law matters, including employment discrimination. The psychological impact of racism and unlawful discrimination may have a lasting impact on your life and your career. This employee rights firm has been privileged to have helped many individuals assert their civil rights and obtain restitution and other remedies. We look forward to speaking with you.
Contact an employment discrimination attorney
We provide free and confidential consultations. You may reach us by completing the contact form on our website or call our office. The more information you provide, the better we may assist you.
