San Francisco Employment Lawyer Blog

If you are a worker in the Silicon Valley area, and if you think you may have been sexually harassed, there are resources for you. Sexual harassment comes in two basic forms. The first type is known as “quid-pro-quo” harassment. Under this type of harassment, the harasser asks for sexual favors in return for job benefits. An example of this type of harassment is if your boss asked you to sleep with him in order to get a promotion. This type of harassment can also occur in the opposite way. This means that if your boss threatens to fire you if you don't sleep with him, this is also considered to be sexual harassment. If you have experienced harassment of this nature, you need to speak out. This type of behavior is not only damaging, but it is illegal. If you have experienced “quid-pro-quo” harassment, you may have an employment claim.

Another type of sexual harassment is known as the “hostile work environment” harassment. This type of harassment occurs when you are made to feel uncomfortable because of your sex at your job. This feeling of discomfort arises from a type of offensive behavior from a boss or co-worker. Under this type of harassment, the offensive conduct must be “severe and pervasive.” Therefore, if you are made to feel uncomfortable by a single off-handed comment, this may not constitute “hostile work environment” harassment.

If you believe that you have been a victim of either “quid-pro-quo” harassment or the “hostile work environment” harassment, you are not alone. You should contact the highly skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP for a free consultation. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under this Act, discrimination based on pregnancy or childbirth or related medical conditions is illegal. This Act applies to companies with over 15 employees. The Civil Rights Act applies to both state and local governments, employment agencies, and labor organizations. Female workers who are pregnant are required to be treated in the same way as employees with similar limitations.

Under the Act, an employer cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy, or related condition. The Act provides that health insurance provided by an employer must include coverage for expenses relating to pregnancy. However, insurance need not cover expenses arising from abortions. In addition, an employer may not provide pregnancy benefits to only married workers.

In 2008 alone, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received over 6,285 allegations of pregnancy discrimination. Out of these complaints, the EEOC was able to resolve over 5,292. in addition, the EEOC recovered over $12.2 million in damages. If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your pregnancy or related condition, don't hesitate to call the highly experienced attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. Our team is here to assist you. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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Did you know that you are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from being discriminated because of your religion? Under the Act, your boss may not make employment decisions such as hiring and firing based on the religion of the employee. This Act applies to employers with over 15 employees, and prevents religious discrimination in relation to any of the “terms and conditions” of employment. “Terms and conditions” include things such as salary, position titles, time off, etc.

The Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from treating employees or applicants for a job in a more or less favorable way because of their religious beliefs or practices. Thus, an employer may not refuse to hire someone because he belongs to a particular group. Therefore, if you were denied a job because you are Muslim or Sikh (or any religion) you may have an employment claim. In addition, the Act also prevents employers from forcing employees to participate in religious activities. Thus, if your employer requires you to partake in his religion in order to retain employment, you may also have an employment claim. Employer must also “reasonably accommodate” an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs as long as it won't cause the employer “undue hardship.”

Just last year, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received over 3,000 allegations of religious discrimination. The EEOC resolved over 2,700 of these charges, and recovered over $7.5 million in damages. If you have been a victim of religious discrimination, don't hesitate to contact the skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prevents employers from discriminating against employees based on their race, color, and national origin. This prohibition applies to companies with over 15 employees. Under the Act, an employee may not be denied employment because of their race, color, or national origin. A person may also not be discriminated against based on race-linked characteristics (hair color, hair texture, facial features, etc) or because of a marriage or association with a person of a particular race. Also under this Act, employment decisions cannot be based on stereotypes about a particular race or ethnicity.

Under Title VII, it is illegal for a boss to discriminate against any person in relation to recruiting, hiring, promotions, etc. This means that your employer must apply job requirements consistently and equally among all workers of all races and colors. A job requirement that is applied equally may still be found to be illegal if it unequally excludes people of certain races, etc. Some examples of practices that may be illegal included encouraging applications from places where potential workers are mainly the same race or color, requiring educational backgrounds that are not necessary for the job, and/or testing applicants' knowledge that is not necessary for the position.

In 2008, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received over 33,000 allegations of race discrimination. Of this allegations, the EEOC was able to resolved over 28,300. The monetary recovery for these cases totaled over $79 million in damages. If you believe that you have been a victim of race, national origin, or color-based discrimination, don't hesitate to contact the skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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Under the Equal Pay Act (EPA), both men and women must be paid equally for substantially similar work. This means that if both a man and a women preform jobs with substantially equal skill, effort, responsibility, and similar working conditions in the same establishment, then they should be paid similarly. In order for the EPA to apply, the jobs do not need to be identical, but they must be “substantially similar.”

When examining if two positions are “substantially similar,” each factor is investigated. “Skill” involves things such as experience level, education, and training needed to preform the job. “Effort” involves the amount of physical or mental energy needed to preform the job. “Responsibility” entails looking at the amount of accountability that the position involves. When examining “working conditions” both physical surroundings and the amount of work hazards are taken into account. In order for the EPA to apply, the pay discrepancy must be within the same place of business.

Discrepancies in pay based on gender are not rare. If you believe that you are working in a substantially similar position as someone of another gender, yet you are being paid less, you should contact the skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP today. Our team of lawyers are here to help, and we will guide you through this process. Contact us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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Blindness is a condition that results in a loss of vision. Complete blindness is a totally lack of light and perception. Blindness may be caused by certain diseases, malnutrition, eye injuries, and other causes. If you are a blind individual whose condition constitutes a medical disability, you should know that your boss does not have the right to discriminate against you based on your blindness.

If you believe that you have been a victim of disability discrimination, you may be able to bring a claim against your employer. In order to bring a medical disability suit, you must be able to show that your blindness is a medical disability, that your blindness resulted in physical limitations, that you can perform the essential tasks of your job, and that your employer has discriminated against you. Examples of ways in which your boss may have discriminated against you include not allowing you to miss work for medical appointments, not allowing you to use a seeing eye dog, not providing you with Braille materials or adaptive computer software, etc.

If you have been a victim of discrimination based on your blindness do not remain silent. Stand up for your rights and call the attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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Santa Clara, California is a diverse town situated in the heart of Silicon Valley. Santa Clara boasts over 100,000 residents. Of these residents, over 36 percent identify as Asian and 19 percent as Hispanic/Latino. While diversity enriches culture, it sadly may lead to conflicts in the workplace.

If you live in the Santa Clara area, you should know that you are protected by both California and Federal employment law. The law makes it illegal for your boss to discriminate against you based on your race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also illegal for your boss or co-workers to sexually harass you in the workplace.

If you have experienced the pain of sexual harassment or discrimination, you should know you are not alone. The highly experienced team of attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP are here to help you. Our group of lawyers will assist you in dealing with this difficult and painful issue. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com.

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If you have been made to feel uncomfortable at work because of your sex you may be experiencing a Hostile Workplace. This is a type of sexual harassment that occurs when an employer or another worker does, or says, something that makes the victim uncomfortable because of their sex. Both men and women can be harassed this way. For this type of activity to constitute "harassment," the behavior must be offensive. This means that if you enjoy exchanging sexual jokes with a co-worker, you are not being harassed.

The offensive behavior must also be "severe and pervasive." Thus, if your boss made a one-time lewd comment to you, this may not constituted "hostile work environment" harassment. If you have been experiencing "hostile work environment" harassment, you should following the company policy and report the behavior to your Supervisor or Human Resources.

It can be very scary to be sexually harassed, and if you have been a victim you should not remain silent. Speak out about your harassment, and contact the skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. Our team will be on your side! You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com. We are here to help you!

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While many people may know that discrimination at work based on race or sex is illegal, did you know that discrimination at work based on you pregnancy is also illegal? Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1964, you are protected from discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act applies to employers with over 15 workers.

Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an employer cannot refuse to higher a woman because of her pregnancy. A boss may also not discriminate against a worker by treating a pregnant woman who is unable to preform her job due to her pregnancy differently from another disabled individual.

If you are a pregnant woman who has faced pregnancy discrimination at your Bay Area job don't hesitate to get help. The experienced lawyers at Greenberg & Rudman LLP are here to help you through this process. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com. We are here to help you!

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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) creates protection for disabled individuals in the workplace. Under this act, it is illegal for your boss to treat you differently than other workers because you are disabled. An employer may not discriminate against you based on the terms and conditions of your employment. "Terms and conditions" include things such as salary, promotions, vacation time, advancement, firing, hiring, etc.

Under the ADA, a disabled individual is a person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. "Major Life Activities" include things such as seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, etc. If you believe that your condition fits ADA medical disability, you may likely be protected by this act.

Sadly, disability discrimination is not uncommon. Last year alone, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recovered over $57.2 million dollars in financial benefits for people who had medical disability discrimination claims. If you believe that your rights under the ADA have been violated, contact the experienced attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com. We will fight for you!

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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects employees who are over the age of forty from being discriminated at work because of their age. The ADEA applies to employers who have 20 or more employees. This includes state and local governments. The ADEA also provides protection for people who oppose employment practices that discriminate based on age, a person who files an age discrimination charge, and people who participate in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation regarding the ADEA.

If you are over 40 and if you believe that you Bay Area boss has been discriminating against you because of your age, you should be aware that this situation is sadly not uncommon. In 2008, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received over 24,582 allegations of age discrimination. Out of these charges, the EEOC resolved 21,415 cases, and recovered over $82.8 million in damages.

Age discrimination may come in many forms, and it is not merely being treated badly because you are an older worker. Individuals that have experienced age discrimination may have been discriminated against because their employers only provide younger employees with job training and learning experiences, promotions, more vacation time, etc.

If you have been a victim of age discrimination, don't hesitate to contact the highly skilled attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. Our team of lawyers is here to guide you through this process. You can call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com. We are here to help you!

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Santa Cruz, California is a beach town of over 54,000 people. This Northern California city has historically been bustling with political activity. It is also the home of UC Santa Cruz. The residents of Santa Cruz include over 15 percent of individuals from Hispanic/Latino backgrounds and 5 percent of people from Asian backgrounds.

If you are a resident of the Santa Cruz area, you should know that discrimination in the workplace based on sex, age, race, religion, national origin, etc. is illegal. You are protected under California and Federal law from being treated differently at work based on your inclusion in any "protected class." This means that if your boss treats you differently because you are of Mexican heritage, you may have an employment claim. While Santa Cruz may be a politically progressive city, it is not immune from the dangers of workplace discrimination.

If you believe that you have been a victim, don't stand idle. Contact the highly skilled employment attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. Call us for a free consultation! You can also visit us online at www.discriminationattorney.com. We are here to help you!

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