Under both federal and state law, most employers in California must adhere to regulations that prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Employers are required to act when an employee complains about sexual harassment or harassment based on protected categories such as religion, race, age, or disability. According to state law, employers must actively work […]
It may not seem like it, but sexual favoritism is a type of sexual harassment. It occurs when employees who are involved in a consensual romantic or sexual relationship with a superior receive preferential treatment in the form of promotions, raises, or other job-related benefits. Although the relationship and the favors granted might be consensual, […]
Workplace retaliation in California occurs when an employer disciplines or punishes an employee for taking part in activities protected by law. An act of retaliation could be anything from firing the employee, reducing their salary, demoting them, or reassigning them to a different task or shift. Sometimes, the adverse nature of these actions is obvious, […]
Harassment by coworkers is one of the most traumatic experiences an employee may go through. For the protection of employees against this type of harassment, California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) says that an employer may be held liable for workplace harassment even if the perpetrator was not a supervisor but only a coworker. […]
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) broadly describes two ways to categorize sexual harassment at the workplace. Under the Act, sexual harassment refers to: (a) unwelcome sexual advances or other types of physical, verbal or visual misconduct of a sexual nature; and/or (b) actions that create a hostile, offensive or intimidating workplace environment based […]
Several recent federal laws (some in response to criticisms of Wall Street) have strengthened the law protecting whistleblowers and reward them more richly. Those who “blow the whistle” on their employers face the risk of retaliation in any form from demotion to termination. The government and the public benefit from the actions of whistleblowers, and […]
