Derek Smith Law Group / Employment Law Attorneys / Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Employment Lawyers Los Angeles
Employment Discrimination Lawyers Protecting Employees in the Workplace.
What Constitutes Employment Law in Los Angeles?
What Are Examples of Violations of Employment Laws in Los Angeles?
What Laws Protect Employees In Los Angeles?
What Remedies Are Available to Victims of Employment Law Violations in Los Angeles?
Our Qualified Employment Attorneys in Los Angeles are Ready for Your Call.

Employment Lawyers Los Angeles

Employment Discrimination Lawyers Protecting Employees in the Workplace.

Employee discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, employee contract issues, payroll issues, family and medical leave issues, and more, are matters of employment law.

When employees are mistreated at work due to any of these issues, they need to consult an employment law attorney immediately.

For over 25 years, the dedicated Los Angeles employment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles have worked with employees to achieve justice in employment law cases.

What Constitutes Employment Law in Los Angeles?

Employment law matters cover all areas of employment issues concerning hiring, firing, time off, salary, and treatment at work are some of the areas of employment law.

Below are the 8 practice areas included under the heading “employment law.”

1. Employment Discrimination. Employment discrimination occurs when an employee or job applicant is treated poorly because of specific reasons, known as protected classes. Protected classes in Los Angeles include the following:

Race
Color
National Origin
Religion
Sex/Gender
Age
Disability
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity/Representation
Genetic Information
Military Status
Veteran Status
Pregnancy
Citizenship Status
Familial Status

2. Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. It occurs when an employee or job applicant experienced unwelcome sexual advances, comments, or contact in the workplace. Sexual harassment perpetrators include:

Employers
CEOs
Managers
Supervisors

Coworkers
Customers
Clients
Nonemployees

3. Retaliation. Retaliation is a violation of labor laws in Los Angeles. According to the law, an employer cannot treat an employee negatively for:

Refusing sexual advances
Refusing to participate in criminal activity
Agreeing to cooperate with authorities
Filing a complaint about violations of the law.

California is an at-will employment state. Therefore, an employer can fire you for almost any reason, or no reason at all. There are times termination is considered wrongful.
If you are fired due to your status in a protected class or as a form of retaliation, you may have a claim for wrongful termination.

5. Employee Contracts. Some employees have employment contracts. A contract outlines the terms of employment. Usually, the agreement includes salary, duties, and length of work. Contracts prohibit employers from terminating employment for any or no reason.
When your employer breaks the contract, you must contact a labor lawyer in Los Angeles.

6. Family and Medical Leave. California laws provide employees paid leave to care for a family member or personal injury or illness. An employer cannot refuse this leave to qualifying employees.

7. Whistleblower. California whistleblower laws protect any employee who reports illegal actions or unsafe working conditions to the proper authorities. Whistleblower laws protect you from retaliation, whether you report to local or federal government agencies or the appropriate employees.

Whistleblower lawyers also help you in the process of blowing the whistle on your employer. The process may include legal issues and compensation under the laws.

8. Wage and Hour. Wage and hour laws relate to your compensation and overtime pay. You have the right to be paid for hours worked. Your employer must classify you as hourly or salary, based on federal and local laws.

Finally, you have the right to earn at least minimum wage per California law. California law sets the minimum wage at $12 an hour for companies with 25 or fewer employees. The minimum wage is $13 per hour for companies with 26 or more employees.

Testimonials

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Discover how our expertise has helped clients overcome their legal challenges and achieve successful outcomes.

Olivia is the best! Oliva was very thorough, patient, and very detailed and descriptive regarding the process. She was very supportive of my sexual harassment case. From the very beginning, she communicated and would provide me with any updates and she was always available when I needed anything. More importantly, she always extended that comfort level of trust which always made me feel at peac... Read Full Testimonial

Desirae Gallardo

Casey Barkhordarian is a fabulous attorney to work with. He explained everything to me about the case (including the millions of questions I asked) right from the start of our very first meeting. He did so in a way that I could understand and was very prompt and clear with communication the entire time. Casey Barkhordarian is a very competent and knowledgeable lawyer to have on your team. I def... Read Full Testimonial

Chelsi Ferrini

Matt Finkleberg is by far the best attorney I’ve ever hired! From the outset, it was evident that he was not just another lawyer; Matt is nothing short of extraordinary. He possesses the ability to do his job phenomenally while somehow managing to give me hope during one of my darkest of hours. Matt consistently returned my calls promptly, regardless of my questions, confusion, or self-doubt ... Read Full Testimonial

Tanya Scheer

I cannot speak highly enough about my experience working with Matt Finkelberg. From the very beginning, Matt approached my case with an incredible level of professionalism, knowledge, and dedication that immediately put me at ease. It is rare to find an attorney who not only possesses an impressive depth of legal expertise but who also truly cares about the well-being and best interests of thei... Read Full Testimonial

Keely Mettlen

Olivia is absolutely outstanding! She understands the emotional side of your case while being able to find the legal aspects of holding the employer accountable for breaking the law! Made a really terrible situation a little easier by explaining everything and helping me get everything in order and in the right hands. I would not use anyone else! Call them for any sexual harassment case... You ... Read Full Testimonialwon't be disappointed! 10/10

Rae Millstone

This law firm is absolutely amazing!!! They went so above and beyond for me!!! I am so grateful for all their help with my difficult case!!! If you need a lawyer, you will be in great hands with their firm!!! And wait until you see the office! The building is so high tech I couldn't figure out how to get in the elevator lol!

Stacey Marie Norton

It was a pleasure to have Casey represent and help me for my employment case. It was my first time needing an attorney, so I was a bit apprehensive at first – Casey took the time to answer all of my questions and fully explain everything to me, which really put me at ease. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgeable throughout the whole process – Casey would ask questions to ensure... Read Full Testimonial

Corey Kientz

matt is an excellent attorney. he handled my case with the utmost care and highly exceeded all expectations. i could not recommend derek smith and esp. matt finkelberg enough

Seedie Whiser

matt is an excellent attorney. he handled my case with the utmost care and highly exceeded all expectations. i could not recommend derek smith and esp. matt finkelberg enough 🙂

Seedie Whiser

Matt handled a suit against the City of LA and members of the a Neighborhood Council for racial discrimination and harassment. Ths was the first suit of this type filed on a Neighborhood Council Matt handled it with poise and above all professionalism. He walked me through the 3 year process and above all provided moral support and encouragement as I still experienced racism and harassment duri... Read Full Testimonial

Anthony Scearce

Matt Finkelberg is Amazing and Devotional! It was a pleasure to have Matt represent me for my employment case. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgable throughout the whole process. Whenever I reached out he responded promptly which I greatly appreciated. Matt fought diligently and hard throughout my case to make sure my case was represented best. Thank you again Matt for everything.... Read Full Testimonial

Jessica Gonzalez

Corey Kientz

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What Are Examples of Violations of Employment Laws in Los Angeles?

Employment law breaches occur in numerous fashions throughout California and Los Angeles. Some examples of violations of employment laws include:

Your employer refuses to allow Muslim women to wear a burqa to work.
Your coworker makes sexist comments that pregnant women should not be allowed to work once they are mothers.
Your supervisor asks you on dates at least once a week, even though you refuse every time.
Your manager refuses to accommodate you for your disabilities by giving you a morning shift. You have doctors’ notes explaining that your chronic pain syndrome is worse at night. Therefore, you cannot work at night.
Your CEO insists all women wear high heels and tight, straight-legged pants or pencil skirts to work.
Your employer will not offer your husband health insurance under your health benefits.
Your employer will not approve your time off to marry your same-sex partner. This employer has given heterosexual couples two weeks off to celebrate their marriage without using their provided vacation time.
Your client refuses to work with any Asian employees.
Your boss demotes you because you refused her sexual advances.
The hiring manager asked your age during the interview. You said you are 52. You were not offered a job.
Your boss fires you while you are on maternity leave because he does not want any new mothers working. He thinks they are not dependable employees.
You are a waiter. Your tips, during a slow turn for the restaurant, are not equivalent to the minimum wage in California. Your employer does not make up the difference in your paycheck.
Your boss refuses to pay you for overtime hours worked. You are an hourly employee.
Your employer does not hold your job or offer an equivalent position when you return from family and medical leave.
Your employer pays you less than agreed in your contract. He then ends the employment terms early without a valid reason.
You work for a company with 50 or more employees. The company has a mass layoff, and you were not given proper notice under the WARN Act.
Your company wants you to alter data for government reporting to save money and taxes. You refuse and report these actions to the IRS. Your company fires you for reporting the illegal activity.

Verdicts & Settlements

Our results speak for themselves

$4.9 Million Settlement

Case Handled by The Derek Smith Law Group Attorney Catherine Lowry Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania The Derek Smith Law Group secured a $4.9 million settlement on behalf of multiple employees of Schuylkill County who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment,…

$1.5 Million Settlement

Case Handled by The Derek Smith Law Group Attorney Derek Smith Supreme Court of the State of New York, County…

$2.78 Million Jury Verdict

Case Handled by The Derek Smith Law Group Attorney Zachary Holzberg United States District Court, Eastern District of New York…

$4.050 Million Jury Verdict

Case Handled by The Derek Smith Law Group Attorney Derek Smith Supreme Court of the State of New York, County…

$1.6 Million Jury Verdict

Case Handled by The Derek Smith Law Group Attorney Derek Smith Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate…

What Laws Protect Employees In Los Angeles?

Federal and state laws protect employees from any wrongdoing in the Los Angeles workplace. Some of the laws which protect employees from any of the employment law issues listed above include:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)
42 U.S. §1981
The WARN Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
The Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
California Paid Family Leave (PFA)
Wage Theft Protection Act

What Remedies Are Available to Victims of Employment Law Violations in Los Angeles?

Victims of employment law violations are entitled to compensation. Courts will offer remedies depending on the law and violation. Some laws provide more significant monetary awards than others. Remedies are based on the demand you and your labor law attorney make and the damages you suffered.

Our Qualified Employment Attorneys in Los Angeles are Ready for Your Call.

Working in an environment free from labor law violations is a right, not a privilege. Do not waste another moment dealing with these violations of your rights.

Contact the experienced labor and employment law lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles for your free consultation. Call today at (310) 602-6050 or fill out our online form. We only collect fees when you recover.

Any cases and business handled in California are handled exclusively through Derek Smith Law Group, LLP, an entity completely distinct from Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC.

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