Los Angeles Employee Rights Lawyer

Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or a small business, or in the entertainment industry, there are laws by which your employer must abide. These laws protect your rights and ensure that all workers are treated fairly. Unfortunately, some employers value profits over people, and not all employees know their rights. That’s where a Los Angeles employment attorney comes in.

If you are part of a protected class and have faced discrimination or harassment in the workplace, a Los Angeles employee rights lawyer can help.

The California Labor Code provides many protections for workers.

You have the right to:

• A physically safe working environment
• Not be suffer harassment or discrimination
• Work in an environment where promotions are based on performance, not age, race, or gender identity
• Take any family or medical leave for which you are eligible under the California Family Rights Act
• Not be wrongfully terminated
• Be able to air grievances or report illegal activity without fear of retaliation

If any of these rights were violated, you might be unsure what to do next. You may fear losing your job or experiencing an uncomfortable or hostile work environment. An experienced Los Angeles employment attorney can provide legal guidance and support.

It can be challenging to know where to turn if you’re experiencing problems with your employer, and you may not know if a specific employment law pertains to your situation. Fortunately, there are resources available to help you.

First, you can contact your local Labor Commissioner’s Office. They can help you understand state- and industry-specific regulations and pursue any past wages due to you. If your workplace has a safety or health issue, you should contact CAL/OSHA. This includes inadequate personal protective equipment, exposure to dangerous chemicals, and malfunctioning machinery.

Lastly, you should always consult with an employee rights attorney, even if contacting a state agency doesn’t seem appropriate. If you have faced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, a Los Angeles employment lawyer can help with your case—even if you haven’t reported the incident yet.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are some examples of employee rights violations that can occur in Los Angeles:

• Lunch break (“meal period”) violations
  • Not paying an employee for meal breaks when they are required to remain “on duty”
  • Requiring employees to remain onsite without having a designated break area (construction, drilling, logging, and mining industries are exempt)
• Retaliation
  • Wrongful termination, demotion, or pay reduction when employees engage in whistleblowing or report harassment
• Discrimination
  • Mistreating an employee because of sexual orientation, age, race, or another protected class
• Not offering lactation accommodation for breastfeeding mothers
• Not following child labor laws, including employing a minor without a work permit
• Unpaid wages
  • Requiring employees to work “off the clock,” not paying the minimum wage, or not paying adequate overtime pay, as outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act

A lawyer can provide guidance if you’ve experienced an employee rights violation.