If you’re living in California and have been the victim of discrimination at work, California and federal laws, including the Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Rights Act (CFRA), protect you.
If your workplace is larger, it may have human resources legal procedures to investigate violations of Equal Employment Opportunity practices and discrimination.
Sometimes, the violation and illegal discrimination is pervasive, employers fail to act, or the employer itself is the perpetrator of discrimination. It’s important to review both your human resources and legal options, know your rights, and contact a lawyer that specializes in employment discrimination cases in Los Angeles to work on your case.
Protected Classes for Legal Discrimination
Discrimination law defends members of protected classes. Protected classes include age for those over 40, ancestry or national origin, citizenship, religion, color, race, sex and gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, military or veterans’ status, disability, medical conditions, and pregnancy. This includes protection for women and girls, members of the LGBTQI+ community, foreign-born individuals, and those with invisible illness.
Judgment by the Average Person Standard
In order for the case to reach a determination of discrimination, the adverse event or treatment will be judged by the “reasonable person standard.” That means whether the average person would find the event or treatment to constitute discrimination. The case must find reasonable proof you were treated adversely specifically because of your protected class status.
General harassment in the workplace, like if a boss yells and becomes violent toward all of his employees, would not normally constitute discrimination, even if several employees belong to one or more protected classes.
Retaliation is Discrimination
Retaliation, if proven, is discrimination. If you report possible discrimination based on your or someone else’s protected class to your employer’s human resources legal unit or file a lawsuit against your employer outside of work, your employer has no right to retaliate against you. Unfortunately, retaliation is fairly common, and many employment discrimination cases in Los Angeles are deemed discrimination for retaliation before the original case can conclude.
Especially if you were fired or have experienced other retaliatory behaviors against you, contact a lawyer to examine your case.
Gather Evidence Carefully
To the extent that you can, and it is safe, be sure to document as much as you can about the discrimination you incurred. It can be difficult in that stressful moment to remember to write down exactly what happened as you remember it – plus the time, place, and date, and any witnesses that might have been present – but it will help you immensely later when you need to prove your employment discrimination case in Los Angeles. Be sure to store this information in a safe place.
Hire a Lawyer that Specializes in Employment Discrimination Cases in Los Angeles
If you’re not sure what steps to take after discrimination and what your legal rights are, hire a lawyer that specializes in employment discrimination cases in Los Angeles to review your case and help you sort out your legal rights and evidence of discrimination. The process will be less overwhelming with the right help.
