Glendale Employment Lawyer

Experienced Employment Law Attorneys in Glendale, CA

Everyone working in California has unique legal protections designed to shield them from unfair and exploitative employment practices. Employers throughout California in all industries must adhere to strict laws. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. There are times that employers cut corners in paying you, discriminate on the basis of your identity, or retaliate against you for whistleblowing. You may need the support of a Glendale employment lawyer.

Legal Representation for Glendale, CA, Employment Law Cases

If your employer failed to follow employment laws for hiring, firing, or compensating their employees, you may be able to file an employment claim. Our team at MM Law APC is dedicated to representing employees throughout California in all industries, across all professions, and at all employment levels. We provide empathetic and dedicated legal support in many areas of employment law.

Our attorneys help employees understand and protect their rights against injustices in the workplace. In fact, many employees do not even realize that their rights have been violated until they consult an attorney. It is crucial that you know your rights as an employee in California so you are able to recognize when people violate them and stand up for justice if this happens.

The team at MM Law has spent years in employment law and is dedicated to excellence in our legal support. We walk you through filing a claim and explain if you are owed compensation. Maralle Messrelian is an experienced litigator and can take your case to court when needed to protect your rights.

If you have encountered any legal issue with an employer in Glendale, CA, please consult with us as soon as possible, so we can work with you to preserve your legal rights and explore all of your options for obtaining justice, compensation, and other appropriate relief.

What Employment Law Cases Do We Handle at MM Law?

Maralle Messrelian and the team at MM Law offer client-focused legal counsel in every accepted case. You can rely on your Glendale employment attorney for ongoing support and guidance through your case proceedings until you reach the ideal result.

Our team at MM Law offers comprehensive legal representation for a wide range of employment cases in Glendale, CA, including:

• Wage and hour disputes. This includes cases involving minimum wages, overtime wages, unpaid wages, bonuses, and commissions. California employers are legally required to pay their employees a minimum wage that is higher than in many other states. While this makes California a great place to work for many, you might, unfortunately, come across employers who don’t give you the compensation you’re entitled to.
• Discrimination & harassment. This includes harassment or discrimination based on age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics. Far too often, employees find themselves denied opportunities or face hostile harassment because of who they are or because of their choices in life. For example, if you are denied a promotion because you are pregnant or someone in your workplace constantly makes inappropriate comments about your sexual orientation, you can take legal action.
• Wrongful termination. If your superior fires you for illegal reasons such as age, gender, becoming pregnant, and more, you likely have a wrongful termination case. At-Will employment in California means that either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, or for no reason at all. However, the termination cannot be for illegal reasons such as discrimination, retaliation, or violation of public policy.
• Retaliation. Retaliation occurs if you file a complaint about wrongdoings like sexual harassment or racial discrimination and you get fired as a result.
• Hostile work environment. This is when offensive and unwelcome behavior creates an abusive atmosphere at your workplace. Offensive behavior is any inappropriate behavior, like if a coworker repeatedly shows you sexual images or a boss makes derogatory jokes about your ethnicity. People might also create a hostile work environment by physically harassing you, threatening you, or making offensive gestures.
• Sexual harassment. These cases occur when you experience any unwelcome sexual advances or inappropriate physical contact that makes for an intimidating work environment.
• Whistleblowing. If you bring attention to wrongdoings at your company, like misconduct, corruption, or harassment, and you get in trouble for that, like being terminated or facing demotion, you could file a claim for retaliation.
• Disability accommodation. If your employer refuses to provide you with the resources you need to accommodate your disability, and the requests are reasonable, you could file a claim for disability discrimination.
• Religious accommodation. If your employer refuses to accommodate your religious needs or punishes or discriminates against you for your religious practices, you could file an employment claim.
• Family and medical leave issues. You have the right to take protected leave if you need time off to recover, receive medical treatment, or attend to your family’s needs. If this leave creates tensions or problems with your employer, and you face demotion or other negative employment action, you could file a retaliation claim.

Employment cases can be incredibly daunting for employees who do not typically have access to the same breadth of professional legal resources as their employers. You may feel intimidated by the thought of filing any legal action against an employer, especially one with a strong in-house legal team.

Whatever your case entails, you can rest assured that our team will work closely with you through every phase of your case, ultimately helping you reach the greatest possible result and holding your employer accountable for any mistreatment you’ve experienced at work.

What Is Considered Discrimination in the Workplace in California?

California considers workplace discrimination to be the unjust treatment of a person based on things like age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics. Generally, if an employer is restricting an employee from things such as promotions, pay raises, and positions based on personal grievances with physical characteristics rather than their qualifications, this is discrimination.

For example, a woman you work with has had a significant year of growth and is the highest-performing person on her team. When she applies for a promotion, she is denied, and instead, a man who is performing significantly worse than her and is generally unfit for the position is promoted. This could be considered discrimination.

All employers in California must follow strict laws and regulations set forth by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (called “FEHA”). If you believe an employer discriminated or retaliated against you in any way, or if you have been harassed and mistreated at work based on your race, religion, age, or other protected characteristic, we can provide compassionate and responsive legal counsel.

Wage and Hour Violations in Glendale Workplaces

Employers across all industries in the Glendale, CA, area must meet strict legal requirements for compensating their employees. If your employer has failed to pay you properly, refused you overtime pay, or taken unlawful deductions from your paycheck, you have the right to seek compensation for your lost income and any other damages inflicted by your employer’s actions.

You can report violations of wage and hour law to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) in California and file a wage claim with the Labor Commission’s Office.

Workplace Retaliation

Some employees avoid reporting wage and hour violations, workplace harassment, or discrimination for fear of being treated worse in the workplace or losing their job. It’s essential to note that you cannot be fired, demoted, paid less, or treated differently for opening a harassment or other employment case against your employer.

State and federal laws prohibit retaliation in this manner to ensure that employees always feel safe to come forward. If your employer is engaging in retaliatory behavior because you came forward with a complaint, you can take further legal action.

How Do I File a Complaint Against an Employer in California?

If you want to file a complaint against your employer in California, you have to submit official paperwork with one of the state’s many labor and employment agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), which is now the California Civil Rights Department (CRD).

In 2024, the CRD received 2,174 employment complaints based on disability discrimination and 14,430 disability discrimination right-to-sue complaints. There were also 11,837 right-to-sue complaints based on reported harassment or discrimination and 9,131 right-to-sue complaints based on sex or gender discrimination.

Different reports, complaints, and claims are filed with different agencies. Consulting with an experienced employment lawyer can help you determine where to file your complaint, and they can show you how to do it right.

What Happens When I File a Complaint Against an Employer in California?

When you file a complaint against your employer in California, you can generally expect steps like:

1. Investigation. After consulting with an employment attorney and submitting the proper paperwork, the state agency that was chosen will conduct a thorough investigation. This is also why it is important to contact an employment lawyer as soon as possible, as not only do these investigations often take time to be processed and conducted, but different agencies may need to be chosen based on which civil rights laws they choose to investigate.
2. Claim. Following a thorough investigation of your employer by the agency, if it is found that employees are being mistreated in the workplace, then that agency can take them to court via a claim.
3. Settlement. It is not uncommon for employers to wish to settle outside of court through mediation with an employment attorney. However, this is not always the case.

For example, the California CRD, after receiving an official complaint within three years, will review the complaint to see if it covers one of the types of civil rights laws they investigate.

If, after their investigation, they find that civil rights have wrongfully been infringed, they may require that you and your employer go to mediation with an employment lawyer. If, after this, a settlement has not been reached, further actions can be taken in court.

Why Do I Need to Hire an Employment Lawyer in Glendale?

You might think you can resolve your current legal situation with your employer on your own, saving money on attorneys’ fees. However, the reality is that any employment-related legal dispute can be far more challenging to resolve than the average person is prepared to handle.

It’s easy to make errors and missteps when trying to handle such battles alone, and you can easily end up spending more than you need to in legal fees to fix these errors than if you had hired a lawyer from the start. In addition, these cases often involve very complex legal statutes, and most employers have access to powerful legal counsel that the average person could not hope to match on their own.

Hiring an experienced Glendale employment lawyer dramatically increases your chances of success with your case. You will be able to focus on your personal life and professional obligations while your attorney handles your case proceedings on your behalf.

In addition, they can assist you in making informed decisions about your case, help you determine the smartest strategies for approaching your proceedings, and guide you through every phase of your case as efficiently as possible.

Ultimately, the outcome of your current employment dispute has the potential to impact your life in several ways for years to come. It’s vital to have legal counsel you can trust on your side as your case begins to unfold.

Deadlines for Employment Law Claims

The deadline for your employment law case depends on the type of complaint or claim you are making and the agency you file with. Some key deadlines in employment cases include:

• FEHA complaint. If you are filing a complaint for discrimination, harassment, or retaliation with the CRD, you generally have three years from the date the incident occurred to file the complaint. This complaint is required to get a right-to-sue form. When you are issued this form, you have one year to file it.
• Widespread labor law violation. To report a wage or hour violation, or report other labor law violations like workers’ compensation issues or child labor that affect a group or employees, you file a report with the DLSE Labor Commissioner’s Office. When these reports create a financial liability for wages, you have three years to report them. If the violation is based on oral agreements, you have two years. If the actions violate a written agreement, you have four years to report them.
• Wage claims. If you file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner’s Office, you have to file it within three years when it is based on minimum wage, break, overtime, sick leave, or illegal deduction violations. If your wage claim is based on failure to meet oral contracts, you must file within two years. If the contract was written, you have four years. A wage claim based on bounced check penalties must be filed within a year.
• Breach of contract. There can be other breaches of your employment contract besides wage violations, such as your employer failing to uphold certain promised responsibilities or failure to follow disciplinary procedures. If your employer breaks your employment contract, you must file a claim within four years.
• Wrongful termination. When termination occurs based on a violation of public policy, you may have a two-year deadline. This is the deadline for injuries against an individual based on a wrongful act, and it was applied by a California Court of Appeal to a wrongful termination case.

The statute of limitations is crucial because you could be barred from taking action if the deadline expires. If you are unsure what deadline applies to your employment case, an experienced attorney can help you assess your situation.

When Should I Contact a Glendale Employment Lawyer?

If you feel as though your civil rights as an employee are being infringed, contact a Glendale employment lawyer immediately. Filing a complaint must be done within a certain amount of time from the incident, and often takes time to process, as well as to conduct an investigation. The sooner you act, the more time your attorney has to assess your case, gather information, and build your employment case.

It’s important to understand that employment cases such as wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, and lack of proper accommodations are crimes that do not just affect you. A hostile workplace affects everybody, and it’s important to contact an employment lawyer immediately if you feel as though you or anybody else you work with has been treated unfairly.

We understand that sometimes it’s difficult to accommodate everybody, or there may be behavior that unintentionally has caused conflict in the workplace. However, this is not an excuse to continue neglecting employees’ legitimate feelings and concerns, and it should be addressed immediately. It’s important to hold employers’ accountable for unfair actions, and it is within employees’ rights to take legal action if necessary.

How Much Does an Employment Lawyer Charge in California?

If you plan to hire an employment lawyer in California, you might be understandably stressed about legal fees. However, you shouldn’t let worries about money hold you back from seeking legal guidance, even if your employer has more legal resources at hand than you do. You can often consult with a lawyer about your experience for free.

The amount that your California employment lawyer will then charge you will depend on a large variety of factors, including the lawyer’s reputation and years of experience and the details of your case. Depending on your situation, you may often encounter charges in California that are anywhere from around $90 to $400 per hour.

Often, like here at MM Law, there is no upfront cost, and your lawyer works on what is called a “contingency basis.” We understand how daunting high legal fees can be, and we never want to see people walk away from a fight for justice because of financial concerns.

Working on a contingency basis means that we will not charge you unless we successfully get compensation for you. Our fees will come out of that compensation, so you don’t have to reach into your pockets before you receive your settlement. You can consult with us and get informed legal guidance and fierce support without worrying about not being able to afford a lawyer.

Employee Legal Protections in California

Employees in Glendale have both federal and state protections as employees. Federal laws that provide protection include:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to make employment decisions because of race, sex, national origin, color, and religion.
• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which lays out laws for overtime pay, minimum wage, and other requirements.
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows a certain amount of job-protected and unpaid leave for employees for specific reasons, like to care for a new child or recover from a serious illness or condition.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination because of disability.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) prohibits discrimination due to age.

Additionally, there are even stronger protections in place in California. Some of the laws that create stronger protections than those at the federal level include:

• FEHA. This law expands the protections established by federal law, prohibiting discrimination because of ancestry, medical conditions, marital status, and sexual orientation.
• The California Family Rights Act (CFRA). This allows the same protections as the FMLA and provides those protections to a greater number of employees by including employers with fewer employees and also allowing leave for the care of additional family members, like a grandparent, which is not covered by the FMLA.
• Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL). This allows for up to four months of job-protected leave when an employee is disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, and conditions related to pregnancy.

If your employee rights were violated, an attorney can help you assess how to take action to hold an employer accountable and potentially recover benefits.

How Do Employment Cases Work?

Every employment case filed in Glendale, CA, will unfold uniquely. If your case involves illegal harassment or discrimination in your workplace, you cannot directly sue your employer in California. Our team can help you to file a CRD complaint if that is the appropriate course of action. Otherwise, you may proceed with a civil claim against your employer.

If your case involves a wage and hour dispute, our Glendale employment lawyers will help you calculate the compensation you should have received from your employer and likely initiate settlement negotiations to help you secure what the employer owes you.

As far as damages are concerned, the amount you could potentially receive from a successful case largely depends on the nature of your complaint. For example, you could seek reinstatement and compensation for back pay if you were wrongfully terminated due to illegal discrimination.

You may also seek compensation for lost future earnings and benefits, and California state law allows civil claim plaintiffs to seek compensation for emotional distress. If you are unsure of the potential value of your case and the various damages you can seek, it’s vital to consult our experienced attorneys as soon as possible.

FAQs

What Is Wrongful Termination in California?

Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires you for illegal reasons. For example, if your employer breaks your contract by letting you go, fires you for reporting harassment or filing a complaint, or terminates you for protected characteristics like your race, age, or gender, these would all be instances of wrongful termination.

What Are My Employee Rights in California?

If you are an employee in the state of California, you have the right to a workplace that is free from harassment and discrimination of all forms, the right to a safe workplace, and the right to file a complaint without your employer’s retaliation. If you file a complaint about harassment in your workplace and your boss responds by firing you, this is a violation of your rights. It’s critical to know your rights to stand up for yourself.

What Is Considered Harassment in the Workplace in California?

California considers workplace harassment any behavior that is unwelcome or offensive and is severe enough to create a hostile work environment. For example, if you have a coworker who frequently makes derogatory jokes about your gender identity or race, this would be considered harassment. Also, if your boss or superior of any kind threatens or bribes you to get you to comply with inappropriate demands, this is also harassment.

How Is California Employee Law Different Than Other States?

California has more wide-sweeping protections for employees than many other states. Job-protected medical leave applies to more employees in California than in other states. California law also has additional discrimination protections, like prohibiting discrimination because of sexual orientation.

California also allows compensation for injured workers, even if you were partially at fault. If you’re an employer in California, you also have to follow certain rules that you wouldn’t in other states, like reimbursing any and all business expenses.

Find Your Glendale Employment Attorney Today

Our team at MM Law has the experience and resources you need to better understand your legal options regarding any type of dispute with an employer. We take a client-focused approach to employment disputes, learning as much as possible about a client’s situation and carefully reviewing all evidence in play to develop a cohesive and functional legal strategy on the client’s behalf.

We understand the stress and anxiety that employment disputes can create and want to assist you in approaching your case with peace of mind. Don’t let this situation disrupt your life more than it already has.

Instead, let a skilled legal professional take the weight of it off of your shoulders. If you are ready to discuss your employment dispute with a Glendale employment attorney, contact our team at MM Law to schedule a free initial consultation.