Employment Law

 

Harrasment
Experiencing harassment at work can be traumatic. We understand the trauma that it can cause, and we help our clients navigate their legal options. Harassment can be based on the legally protected characteristics of an employee such as race, ethnic origin, gender/sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, or retaliation based on a protected activity.

 

The types of activities that constitute harassment range from derogatory language to physical advances. Please contact us if you believe you have experienced harassment and would like to explore and discuss your potential claims. We will work to hold your employer accountable for not preventing harassment in the workplace. 

 
 

Wrongful Termination
Being fired for your job can be confusing and challenging. California is an “at-will” employment state. If your employment is “at-will,” it means that your employer may terminate you at any time, as long as you are not terminated for an unlawful reason. Some unlawful reasons to terminate your employment include the following violations of State or Federal law:

 

Discrimination
Harassment
Retaliation
Breach of employment contract
Violation of State or Federal Employment law

If your employer terminated you and you have questions, please contact us so that we can determine if you have a legal basis for a wrongful termination claim.

 
 

Discrimination
Your employer cannot discriminate against you for several reasons, including age, race, and gender. It can be difficult for an employee to recognize the different types of discrimination. Here are a few categories of discrimination:

Race and Color Discrimination National Origin Discrimination
Sex Discrimination
Religious Discrimination
Military Status Discrimination
Age Discrimination
Disability Discrimination
Status as a Parent
Pregnancy
Sexual Harassment

 

If you feel that your employer is discriminating against you, please contact us so that we can talk through the process of taking legal action against your employer. If you feel you have a discrimination case, you have an option of filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Sometimes the discrimination will stop once that complaint is filed and/or investigated but sometimes the conduct doesn’t stop and the conduct is so egregious that you may want to file a lawsuit. We’re here to help!

 
 

Retaliation
Retaliation could result when an employee reports a violation of a state, federal or local law, including reporting discrimination or sexual harassment in the workplace. Some forms of retaliation are obvious: being passed over for raises or promotions, negative performance reviews, increasing an employee’s job duties without a suitable pay raise, and being fired. 

 

If you feel you have or are experiencing retaliation, please contact us to discuss your potential legal options. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Law Office of Ann M. Kariuki, Esq.

2831 Telegraph Ave Oakland CA 94609