Workplaces in Calabasas can be sites of discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, or wage and hour violations. Whether you are fighting with your employer about unpaid overtime or unsure of what protections you have if you report your employer’s fraudulent acts, it’s important to call the seasoned Calabasas employment attorneys of Calderone Law Firm. Our founder, Vincent Calderone, has more than 20 years of experience representing workers and can put his insights to work for you in and out of court.
Calabasas Wage and Hour LawsuitsNonexempt employees like administrative assistants and servers receive protection under federal state, and local laws when it comes to wage and hour matters. These are matters that involve overtime, minimum wage, meal and rest breaks, equipment, and uniforms. California’s rules about meal breaks are more generous to workers than federal laws are. As a nonexempt worker, you’re entitled to take a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break if you work over 5 hours in a work day, along with 10-minute uninterrupted rest breaks for very 4 hours you work. When an employer doesn’t comply with these rules, they must pay an hour of regular pay for each day that the meal break violation happened along with an extra hour of regular pay for every day on which there was a rest break violation. The amount of a damages award in an individual wage theft case can be small. However, if you and multiple coworkers have the same or similar wage theft claims against your employer, it might be appropriate to join together in a class action lawsuit against the company.
Calabasas Whistleblower ProtectionWorkers who report their employer’s illegal conduct or legal or regulatory violations to an authority figure within the workplace or an official body or testify in an investigation of violations are known as whistleblowers. The law recognizes that those who blow the whistle on their employers should not be retaliated against for reporting misconduct and illegal behavior in good faith. There are both federal and state laws that protect whistleblowers. Under California Labor Code 1102.5, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who report or won’t participate in illegal actions or violations of regulations, rules or laws. Activities that are protected as whistleblowing include reporting violations to a government agency or within the company hierarchy, refusing to participate in the illegal conduct, or testifying before an outside authority. If you are retaliated against for such activities, you may be able to pursue a civil lawsuit; it is wise to seek knowledgeable legal representation.
Workplace Discrimination LawsuitsCalifornia Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protects you against workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation if you work for a company that has a minimum of five employees. Federal antidiscrimination laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act apply only to midsize or large companies. Workplace discrimination occurs if your employer takes an adverse employment action against you based on a trait or characteristic protected under FEHA or another antidiscrimination law. Characteristics protected under FEHA include sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, color, race, religion, creed, medical condition, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, and marital status. If our Calabasas lawyers are able to establish you were harmed by workplace discrimination, we may be able to recover damages on your behalf such as back pay and front pay, compensatory damages for pain and suffering and embarrassment, punitive damages in the event that the employer’s conduct was truly reprehensible, attorneys’ fees, and costs.
Consult a Seasoned Calabasas Employment LawyerIf you and your employer are in a dispute that are related to your wages, discrimination, or whistleblowing, it is imperative to seek legal counsel. Call the experienced Calabasas employment attorneys of Calderone Law Firm to talk about your legal options. Call us at (424) 348-8290 or contact us online.