As California employee, laws protect you against discrimination and retaliation from your employer. Those laws also protect you if you are a job applicant.
If you wish to file a complaint, you should remember that you must file your complaint within one year.
What laws protect you as an employee in California?
In California, the following laws protect you as a California employee:
- Labor Code section 96(k): This authorizes the California Labor Commissioner to deal with cases of wage loss that occur because of employer retaliation for something that the employee did while they were not at work.
- Labor Code section 98.6: Shields an employee who either files a claim or says that they will file a claim with the Labor Commissioner, intends to testify against their employer or lodges a verbal complaint against the employer. This not only includes protection for the employee but also protection for any individuals whom the employee includes in their testimony.
- Labor Code 230(a): Protects the employee from their employer retaliating against them if they are called to serve on a jury. The only condition is that the employee must give their employer adequate notice about the jury duty.
- Labor Code 230(b): This law prevents the employer from retaliating against their employee who needs to take time off from work because they were a crime victim and were called to court because of a subpoena or a court order to testify as a witness.
- Labor Code 230(c): Prevents the employer from firing their employee or behaving in a discriminatory manner toward the employee (or in any retaliatory manner) because the employee is a domestic violence victim, victim of sexual assault, is a victim of stalking, or has developed mental or physical issues as a result of the harm that another person caused them. The law also protects the employee if their family member passed away as a result of a violent crime and they needed to take time off from work.
There are many other Labor Code laws that are enforced in California that protect the employee. Those discussed here are just a small number to illustrate how California protects the rights of the employee.
Legal protection from a California employment attorney
If you are an employee in California and you are experiencing unfair treatment from you employer, the expertise of a San Diego, California, employment attorney may make a tremendous difference to your case. The attorney can educate you on your rights and may be able to help you to achieve positive results so that you can move on.