Western states employment law, PC

Although California is an at-will employment state, an employer cannot terminate an employee for an unlawful reason. Unlawful reasons may include retaliation, discrimination, or breach of an agreement.

The law protects employees from discrimination based on specific characteristics, including disability or medical condition, race, gender, age, and religion. Employees who face discrimination may have a claim against their employer.

The law protects employees from workplace harassment based on protected characteristics, including sex and gender. If conduct creates a hostile workplace or an employer requests sexual favors in exchange for job benefits, employees may have a claim against their employer.

The law provides numerous ​prohibitions against retaliation. ​When an employer takes a ​negative employment action ​because an employee participated ​in protected activity, an employee ​may have a claim for retaliation.

Employees who are disabled are ​entitled to accommodations to ​enable them to perform the ​essential functions of their job. ​Employers cannot discriminate ​against a disabled employee or ​retaliate against them for ​requesting an accommodation.

Employees may be entitled to ​unpaid protected leave for personal ​or family medical issues. If an ​employer denies the leave or takes ​action against an employee for ​taking leave, an employee may have ​a claim against their employer.

The law ensures employees are ​compensated for their work. ​California has additional ​protections including meal and rest ​periods, accurate wage statements, ​and reimbursement for expenses. ​Employees have remedies when ​they are not properly compensated.

Public employees may need to ​complete some important ​procedural steps to protect and ​enforce their workplace rights, ​including filing timely ​administrative claims or ​participating in pre-termination ​hearings.

Most California employees are at-​will employees. Sometimes, ​employees have contracts that set ​the terms, compensation, and ​benefits of their employment. ​Employees should have a clear ​understanding of these agreements ​and the steps they can take if the ​employer breaches the agreement.

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