Sacramento, CA Employment Lawyers

California is one of the best states to work in – at least when it comes to the fact that it has more laws and measures in place to protect the rights of employees than nearly any other state. However, even though you have clear legal rights as a California employee (no matter what industry you work in, and no matter if you are documented or not), sometimes employers will either knowingly or unknowingly take advantage of you. This shouldn’t be tolerated. 

Our Sacramento employment lawyers can tell you whether or not you may have a case for compensation; you can rely on us to stand up for you and advocate for fair treatment. Call today to book a free, no-obligation consultation and learn more about your legal options!

Common Employment Law Violations We Assist With

Unfortunately, there are a variety of ways that employers can (and frequently do) mistreat employees. Even more unfortunately, there are many times where employees simply accept the mistreatment because they either a) aren’t aware of what qualifies as illegal and unfair treatment under California laws, and don’t know their rights, or b) they are afraid to speak up. As aggressive employment attorneys who have been serving clients for over 21 years, we regularly represent employees who are dealing with the following scenarios:

Unpaid wages –  In California, non-exempt employees are required by law to be paid the minimum wage of the county in which they work for every hour they work. (Non-exempt employees may also include salaried workers in some cases). The minimum wage in California is currently $15.50, but depending on where you work, it may be higher (for example, in West Hollywood, it’s $18.86). You are supposed to be paid the highest minimum wage applicable. If you are making less than this, your employer is cheating you out of your rightful wages. 

Unpaid overtime – If you work any hours over 8 hours in a single workday, any hours over 40 hours in a single workweek, or any hours over 6 consecutive workdays in a single workweek, California law mandates that your employer pay you overtime – 1 and a half times your regular rate of pay. If you work any hours over 12 hours in a single workday, or any hours over 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day you work in a single workweek, they have to pay you double time (2 times your regular rate of pay). The math can get complicated, but your employer is supposed to know it, and any overtime they are not paying you is owed to you! 

Discrimination – Your employers are supposed to treat everyone equally or based on performance. If you are being treated differently in any way – denied promotions, verbally harassed, ignored in meetings, denied reasonable accommodations, etc. – based on a characteristic like your sex, your sexual orientation, your race, your ethnicity, your religion, your disability, your parental status, your age, or something else other than your work – then that may qualify as discrimination. Discrimination can occur during the hiring process, the normal course of employment, or in the firing process; it can be subtle or overt. Our Sacramento employment lawyers can help you identify and fight against all forms of workplace discrimination!

Wrongful termination – In the state of California, employers can fire you for any reason – they can even fire you because they just don’t like your personality – but it cannot be for a discriminatory reason or in retaliation. If you were fired and you feel as though it were unfair, we can review your situation to determine if you have a case. 

Sexual harassment – Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual conduct by anyone else in the workplace – a coworker, a supervisor, an employer, a client. It can come in the form of being offered a promotion for sexual favors, in the form of crude and inappropriate jokes, in the form of being touched inappropriately and more. Your employer has a legal responsibility to keep the workplace free of such behavior if they are aware of it, though they might be the ones perpetrating it. We can help you preserve your dignity and advocate for justice. 

Retaliation – If you file a complaint or lawsuit against an employer, they are not legally allowed to fire you out of spite or because you took action. If they did, that qualifies as wrongful termination and is an additional way you should pursue justice and financial compensation. 

And more 

Why Should You Work With Our Sacramento Employment Lawyers?

It doesn’t matter if you work for a big company or a small one, if you are in the hospitality industry or in the migrant farmer industry, if you are a citizen or an undocumented immigrant, if you make minimum wage or if you are salaried; you deserve to be paid and treated fairly at work under both state and federal labor laws! When you are not, you will suffer the consequences. You may miss out on financial opportunities that you otherwise would have been able to capitalize on, incur more stress, struggle with self-doubt or with low self-esteem, or miss out on career advancement opportunities. That’s why you shouldn’t sit by and take unjust treatment! 

At Equal Justice Law Group, our knowledgeable Sacramento employment lawyers have successfully served over 7,000 clients. We will take the time to listen to you, investigate your situation, explain all of your options, and guide you every step of the way to the best resolution (which may include financial compensation). To us, every client is a partner, which means you will always be treated with respect and kept in the loop about everything we’re doing on your behalf! Call our firm today to schedule a confidential, free consultation and discuss your next steps.