You may be unsure about whether a Los Angeles employment lawyer will be willing to take your discrimination case. It’s important to understand what constitutes discrimination (not all unfair treatment will qualify) and whether you have or could acquire the evidence necessary to establish a case. If you do have evidence you were treated unfairly in employment or hiring on the basis of being part of a class that is protected by anti-discrimination laws, then a Los Angeles employment attorney will probably want to speak to you.
Employment lawyers do offer free initial consultations, so it is usually worth your time to reach out, explain your situation and arrange a meeting. A few things to keep in mind before you arrive.
Understanding Employment Discrimination
Employers discriminate against workers by treating them differently based on a protected class, as outlined by state and/or federal anti-discrimination laws. Generally, protected status can include:
- race
- gender
- age
- national origin
- genetic information
- pregnancy
- disability
- military status, and
- religion
They may be expanded under state employment discrimination laws (gender identity, for example), but these are applicable for all workers because that’s what’s outlined in federal code. There are several federal laws, enforced by the EEOC, that protect workers from discrimination. These include:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects job applicants and employees from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or national origin. It protects people in recruitment, selection, termination and other decisions concerning the terms and conditions of employment.
- Equal Pay Act of 1963. This measure protects both women and men from gender-based discrimination in paying wages or benefits compared to those in the same company who perform substantially the same work at the same company.
- Then there is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, This protected individuals over the age of 40 from age-based discrimination by an employer.
- Discrimination on the basis of disability is forbidden under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.Qualified employees and job candidates with disabilities are to be protected from discrimination and to be extended reasonable accommodation of any known disabilities. The exception would be if the accommodation would cause undue hardship.
- Then there is The Civil Rights Act of 1991. This measure amended several sections of Title VII to bolster/improve civil rights law and allow for compensatory damages in federal cases of alleged intentional discrimination in employment.
California state law on employment discrimination takes it even further.
How an Employment Lawyer Will Decide if You Have a Case
The law is very specific about what’s considered illegal employment discrimination. Los Angeles employment discrimination attorneys will want to know whether you are a member of a protected class, what type of adverse employment action you experienced, whether that adverse action at least in part because of your protected class, what evidence you have of all this and what you suffered as a result.
The more evidence you can gather in advance of that first meeting, the better. Your attorney can and will do a fair to significant amount of investigation once he or she accepts your case, but having the ground work laid makes it easier (and often less costly for you).
Contact the employment attorneys at Nassiri Law Group, practicing in Orange County, Riverside and Los Angeles. Call 949.375.4734.
Additional Resources:
Workplace discrimination is illegal. But our data shows it’s still a huge problem, Feb. 28, 2019, VOX, Center for Public Integrity
More Blog Entries:
What is a “Protected Class” in Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Lawsuit?, Feb. 28, 2019, Los Angeles Employment Attorney Blog