Los Angeles Employment Law Blog

Do any of these discriminatory actions sound familiar?

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Thursday, January 23, 2020.

Many people go into their chosen fields of work because they have at least some interest in the profession. You may be one of the many people who felt a passion for a particular subject or occupation and wanted to create a career of it. As a result, when you found a job in your chosen field, you likely felt excited to interview and even more excited when you landed the job.

Unfortunately, the excitement and enjoyment of your position may have only lasted a few months or a few years. You put in a lot of hard work and may have anticipated promotions, favorable duties or other benefits of being a loyal and efficient employee. However, that was not the case.

Addressing harassment at work can be a delicate matter

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Thursday, January 16, 2020.

Dealing with a difficult situation at work can sometimes be more complicated than people would like. Unlike dealing with issues in other settings, you and other California workers likely worry about the consequences that could affect your career if one does not handle a predicament in the best manner possible. You may consider yourself someone who does not like to cause trouble, but you also want to stand up to wrongdoing.

For you, standing up to harassment in the workplace may have become a personal endeavor. You may have experienced harassment yourself or witnessed it happening to a co-worker. In either case, you want to do what is right and bring the harassing actions to an end.

Health care workers are often victims of wrongful termination

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP posted in Wrongful Termination on Thursday, January 16, 2020.

All workers in the healthcare profession play a valuable role in preserving the life and well-being of Californians who come in for treatment. No matter their role, they are all trusted with the health of their patients, and, as such, have to follow many strict laws and regulations designed to keep people safe and the American medical system financially and ethically sound.

One problem workers may face as they try to follow these laws is employers and others who may turn a blind eye to rule violations if not disregard them outright. In these cases, bringing these violations to the light depends on courageous employees who have the integrity to speak up.

Your age shouldn't be a factor in the workplace

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

When you go to work every day, you probably are not thinking about your age and whether that number will keep you from doing your job. After all, you simply show up and do your job because you are capable of doing it. Unfortunately, some people view older California employees as a problem, and age discrimination in the workplace is a real issue.

Experiencing age discrimination in the workplace is disheartening and overwhelming. If you think you are a victim, you are probably unsure of what to do next. Should you speak up and take the risk of losing your job? What will happen if no one believes you? Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, and you have the right to seek legal guidance regarding the best way to deal with it.

Steps to take when dealing with workplace discrimination

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP posted in Workplace discrimniation on Friday, January 3, 2020.

When it occurs, workplace discrimination can come as quite a shock to employees in California. When people go to work each day, they probably don't expect to be the victim of another person's prejudices. However, the sad reality is that discrimination still occurs in the workplace.

Those who experience discrimination in the workplace may want to make sure that they follow a certain set of steps to make sure that the discrimination is addressed, both from an employment and legal prospective.

What should workers look for in the employee handbook?

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

You probably already know that your employer must provide you with a work environment free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation under both federal and California law. You may know that you do not have to put up with these types of behaviors from coworkers, supervisors, managers and even third parties from outside the company.

However, what you may not know is how seriously your employer takes its commitment to providing you with a hostility-free workplace. One of the best places to make that determination is by carefully reviewing your employee handbook. If your employer didn't provide you with one, you may want to ask to see one since it is often used as the first line of defense for a company against any claim you may file involving discrimination, retaliation and harassment.

What were the reasons behind your wrongful termination?

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP posted in Wrongful Termination on Thursday, December 19, 2019.

Many people who get fired from their jobs in California believe that the termination of employment was wrong. After all, we all depend on our jobs for income to support ourselves and our families, so when a job is taken away from us for what we believe were the wrong reasons, some people may feel compelled to take legal action. But, it is important to determine if your termination of employment was, indeed, "wrongful."

So, what are some of the reasons behind wrongful termination of employment in California? Well, most people can go through a kind of "checklist" to see if they may have the basis for a valid legal claim. For starters, did the termination of employment involve discrimination? Most forms of employment discrimination, including discrimination based on gender, religion, age, disability and race, are illegal under federal and state laws. A firing for a discriminatory reason may be the basis for a wrongful termination claim.

Did discrimination play a part in your job interview?

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Wednesday, December 11, 2019.

If you have landed an interview for what you think could be your dream job, you likely feel nervous and excited. You believe you have the qualifications and experience necessary to allow you to obtain the position and do well in it. You may also feel that the time and effort you have put into working toward this goal will pay off if you land the job.

Of course, you may have some hesitations as well. In the past, you may have been treated unfairly because of your race, religion, gender or another characteristic. If so, you may have concerns that a prospective employer will pass you over for an open position due to that characteristic.

Sexual harassment prevention training is mandatory

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP posted in Sexual Harassment on Friday, December 6, 2019.

In recent years employers and employees alike have become quite familiar with what sexual harassment is, where it occurs and how it impacts the overall workplace. Many of our readers in California, like many others throughout the country, probably once were at the point where we all thought that society was progressing past this sort of workplace harassment. But, unfortunately, workplace scandals in recent years have opened our eyes to the fact that sexual harassment in the workforce still occurs.

However, steps are being made to attempt to address this important issue. In fact, as a recent news article noted, California is one of six states in the country that mandates that employers institute sexual harassment prevention training for employees, if the employer has five or more employees. Depending on the worker's status with the employee - supervisory, temporary worker, etc. - the sexual harassment prevention training must take place within a certain period of time from when the worker is hired and the length of time of the training session varies as well. Supervisors are required to obtain more training.

Seeking workplace accommodations for mental illness

On behalf of Bononi Law Group, LLP on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

If you deal with a mental health condition, you may prefer to keep it to yourself. You may have had your fill of those who misunderstand your illness, make unfair assumptions about you or are simply happy to remain ignorant of the reality of mental illness and its effects on your life.

Nevertheless, if your mental illness requires you to seek workplace accommodations, you should be prepared to share at least some information with your employer. You should also obtain as much information as possible about your rights as an employee and the steps you must take to maximize your chances of being successful in your job.