Moreno Valley

You may find it very stressful to oppose your employer in a discrimination, wage and hour, or whistleblower lawsuit. Many depend on their job not only for their own livelihood but also for their family’s well-being. If you are subject to injustice in a workplace, you should consult seasoned Moreno Valley employment law attorneys to fight for your rights and interests in an employment lawsuit whether you are in the advanced manufacturing, healthcare, e-commerce, or logistics and warehousing industries. The Calderone Law Firm has many years of experience to rely upon when fighting for the best outcome in your case.

You may be uncertain about whether what you experienced in the workplace counts as discrimination. Not all bad behavior counts as discrimination for which you can pursue remedies through litigation. You can file a lawsuit when your employer takes an adverse step against you due to a trait that is protected under federal, state, or local laws. The primary state employment law is the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and it often provides greater protection than federal law does. FEHA protects workers at companies that have at least five employees, while federal laws shield midsize to large companies. Additionally, FEHA also protects numerous traits, many more than federal laws do. Among the traits that are protected are race, color, ancestry, national origin, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, medical condition, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, and decision making around reproductive health (such as choosing to have an abortion).

Employees are often the best positioned to recognize when an employer is committing illegal acts or misconduct. However, as an employee, you may realize that you should report an employer for illegal acts or misconduct but be uncertain about doing so for fear of facing punitive actions by your employer. However, California and federal laws prohibit whistleblower retaliation; your employer is not allowed to retaliate against you if you report the employer in good faith for illegal acts or misconduct. Retaliatory conduct can take many different forms including firing, termination, layoff, unjust performance reviewers, denial of training, and failure to promote. For example, if you report the clinic you work for Medicare fraud, and your supervisor begins to write you up for poor performance and then demotes you, you may have grounds to pursue a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.

Nonexempt employees receive many protections under the law. Among these protections are laws that ensure minimum wage, overtime, rest and meal breaks, and uniforms. Unfortunately, many companies shirk their legal responsibilities, whether through oversight or intentional actions. One common way in which wage theft occurs, for example, is when companies misclassify their nonexempt workers either as independent contractors or as exempt employees, neither of which receive strong protections under wage and hour laws. Another way is for an employer to request that an employee work off the clock, such as by working through lunch or staying late without compensation. Sometimes the wage theft involves minor amounts, but in that case, it might be appropriate to join together with your coworkers and bring a class action lawsuit. This type of lawsuit is complicated and it’s best to seek representation from seasoned class action attorneys such as those of the Calderone Law Firm.

You may be intimidated to sue your employer because it has more resources than you do. However, our seasoned Moreno Valley discrimination lawyers are well-equipped to represent you in a lawsuit against your employer. Call us if you have suffered wage and hour violations, whistleblower retaliation, or discrimination. Our founder, Vincent Calderone, can use his more than 20 years of experience representing employees in litigation to help you. Please contact us online or call us at (424) 348-8290.