Observing a religion may require attending weekly services or honoring specific holidays. Employees sometimes need to ask businesses to accommodate their religious observances. For example, retail professionals might need to work on weekends when attending a religious...
Is it possible to fire an employee in a protected class?
Yes, an employee who is in a protected class can often still be terminated from their position, but doing so can be a bit more complex for the employer. As an employer, you know that employees have certain protections against wrongful termination. For instance, Title...
Is your employer guilty of wage theft?
You go to work every day with the expectation that your employer will pay you for the hours you give to the company. Unfortunately, wage theft is more common than you realize. You may not realize that your employer is violating wage and hour laws, costing you...
Does holiday pay or sick leave count toward overtime?
Generally speaking, sick leave and holiday pay do not count toward overtime pay. This means that a person could technically be paid for more than 40 hours in a week without qualifying for overtime. For example, say that a person was sick on Monday and took paid time...
What counts as autism discrimination in the workplace
Social interactions don’t come with clear labels, and for neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, this uncertainty can be even more noticeable. Sometimes, what feels “off” is hard to explain, especially when it involves how someone is treated differently over...
Are wrongful termination claims impossible with at-will employment?
Many modern employees in the United States are at-will employees. This essentially means that they are not operating under any employment contracts or agreements that they have signed. They have simply agreed to take a job for as long as they are willing, but they...
Are you facing national origin discrimination in the workplace?
National origin is one of the protected categories in the workplace. Both the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Civil Rights Department (CRD) prohibit discrimination against an employee based on their actual or perceived national origin,...
Pregnancy discrimination does not always mean job loss
Employees are sometimes worried about disclosing a pregnancy to their employers. They are excited to start a family, but they fear that it is going to cost them their job. Maybe they think their employer will not want to provide maternity leave or will want to replace...
Can workers file wage lawsuits over unpaid bonuses?
Wage theft is a relatively common phenomenon. Employers sometimes manipulate payroll records or lie to their workers about their rights to pay them less than they deserve. Although many wage theft lawsuits begin with a refusal to provide minimum wage or overtime pay,...
Settlement vs. trial in California wrongful termination cases
If you’re pursuing a wrongful termination claim in California, one of the biggest decisions you may face is whether to accept a settlement or take your case to trial. Each option has its benefits and tradeoffs, and understanding them can help you make an informed...