Los Angeles Workplace Discrimination Lawyer

Recovering Damages for Victims of Discrimination in California

Under the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on their membership in a protected class. Despite these provisions, employers sometimes use subversive means to enact discriminatory policies while appearing innocent.

Discrimination in the workplace creates a hostile work environment for everyone. Though it can seem intimidating to take action against these employers, bringing their actions to light now can prevent them from doing the same thing to other employees later on.

The experienced Los Angeles discrimination lawyers at the Law Offices of Scott R. Ames can investigate your claim and uncover evidence that exposes discriminatory practices in your workplace.

Legal Protections Against Discrimination in California

Federal law protects employees from discrimination by employers based on specific characteristics. Laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act all have provisions protecting American workers from discrimination.

Importantly, federal law specifies protected classes of employees who are protected from discrimination. Employers who make decisions based on an employee's or job applicant's membership in a protected class do so illegally.

Which Classes Are Protected From Workplace Discrimination?

Federal law defines the following protected classes:

• Race
• National Origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Age
• Citizenship status
• Disability
• Genetic information

The state of California is known for its extensive laws protecting workers' rights, and its anti-discrimination laws are no exception. California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Family Rights Act (CFRA) both identify additional protected classes and characteristics, with more comprehensive protections.

Which Characteristics Are Protected From Workplace Discrimination?

The state of California considers the following as protected characteristics:

• Ancestry
• Gender Identity
• Gender Expression
• Sexual Orientation
• Pregnancy
• Marital status
• AIDS/HIV
• Veteran or military status
• Political affiliations and activities
• Status as a domestic violence or stalking victim

Employers are prohibited from discrimination in hiring, transferring, promoting, or firing employees. Employers cannot use discriminatory reasons to determine working conditions, benefits, access to career growth opportunities, and more. In addition, employers cannot retaliate against employees who make a claim or complaint of discrimination in the workplace.

How to Prove Workplace Discrimination

Discrimination claims may be proven by direct or circumstantial evidence.

It will be up to you and your attorney to show that:

• The discriminated employee is a member of the protected class
• The discriminated employee was subjected to an adverse employment action (i.e., a termination, demotion, harassment)
• The employee's protected status (i.e. race, religion, sex...) was a motivating reason for the adverse employment action

The two main types of evidence you can use to prove your discrimination case are "direct" and "circumstantial evidence:

Direct Evidence

Direct evidence can be the statement of someone who has witnessed the discriminatory behavior against you in the workplace. It could also be emails or other recorded communications where someone made blatant discriminatory statements.

Circumstantial Evidence

Circumstantial evidence is data indicating discriminatory behaviors or patterns. This can be as simple as comparing how policies and procedures were applied to you vs other similar employees.

Proving workplace discrimination is not always easy. Employers facing these accusations will often argue that a person’s ethnic or religious status had nothing to do with their treatment.

This is why working with an experienced discrimination attorney is critical. We know what details need to be investigated and exposed in court in order to prove discrimination took place.

Protecting Your Rights in Your Discrimination Case

Being the victim of discrimination can be one of the most devastating and disturbing experiences in your life. If you believe you were the victim of workplace discrimination, remember that there are people who will fight for you.

Our Los Angeles employment attorneys have dedicated their careers to defending employee rights. We treat our clients with the compassion and respect they deserve, and are relentless advocates for their cause. You can trust that your case is in good hands at the Law Offices of Scott R. Ames.