El Segundo Employment Law Blog

How can I negotiate my severance package?

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in workplace discrimination on Friday, March 22, 2019.

If you have reason to believe that you may have your employment terminated in the near future, it is important that you look into your work contract to understand your right to a severance package. While no-one wants to be laid off, a severance package can make a bad situation a little easier to deal with.

If you do get laid off in the future, it is best to be prepared and already have an idea of what your severance package should look like. By doing this, you will be able to negotiate your severance package in a well-informed and lucrative way.

Understanding class action lawsuits for wage violations

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in employment law on Friday, March 8, 2019.

If you believe that you have been underpaid by your employer, you may feel that you are in a David and Goliath situation, where you feel powerless to stand up to your employer. You may feel that it is not worth the financial investment and stress to take legal action against your employer for a relatively small amount of money.

However, if you have been underpaid by your employer, it is possible that many other employees in your company have suffered the same type of mistreatment. This is where class action lawsuits become powerful tools.

Enforcing minimum wage rights in California

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in wage and hour claims on Friday, February 22, 2019.

If you are a worker in California, it is likely that you will have the right to be paid the state minimum wage. There are some exceptions to having the right to minimum wage. For example, you are not subject to the minimum wage law if you are the parent, spouse or child of your employer, if you are an apprentice employed under the State Division of Apprentice Standards or if you are an outside salesperson.

If you are not paid the minimum wage, therefore, it is important that you first verify that you do in fact have the right to be paid the state minimum wage. After you have verified this, you should then look into your legal options for enforcing your right to minimum wage and gaining the back pay that you are owed.

How to recognize disability discrimination in your workplace

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys on Monday, February 11, 2019.

Accommodating qualified employees who have disabilities is mandated by federal law, but not all workplaces go about it in the right way. These situations can lead to uncomfortable and illegal working conditions.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (DFEH) protects workers who require accommodations or accessibility changes to perform their job duties. Employers are required to make these changes if they do not impose an “undue hardship.”

How should I react to unwanted sexual advances at work?

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in workplace sexual harassment on Friday, February 8, 2019.

When you are in the work environment, you should feel comfortable around other employees and your managers. This means that in theory, all behavior should be kept strictly professional. However, this line can become blurred, since very often friendships arise in the workplace, as well as consensual relationships.

There is a fine line between what behavior is and is not appropriate in the workplace. The law in California states that behavior should be appropriate so as to avoid creating a hostile environment in the workplace. This means that employees should never make sexual jokes or make sexual advances in the workplace.

The most common types of workplace retaliation

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in employer retaliation and wrongful termination on Friday, January 25, 2019.

So many people fail to take action when they are retaliated against at work. This is often because they are worried about not being successful or about suffering even more through employer retaliation. If more employees took the time to learn about the ways that they are protected under the law in the state of California, it is likely that there would be many more successful employment retaliation claims.

When it comes to gaining a protected status from employment retaliation, there are two main actions that make an employee eligible. It is important that you understand whether you have taken either of these actions so that you know whether you could be protected under the law.

Key warning signs of workplace discrimination

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in workplace discrimination on Friday, January 11, 2019.

Workplace discrimination can be difficult to identify if you do not fully understand what it is. If you have been feeling uncomfortable at work or you believe that you have needlessly missed out on promotion opportunities, it is important that you take a step back and reflect upon the way you are treated and whether it could constitute discrimination.

There are several warning signs of office environments that are discriminatory in nature. Discrimination in the workplace is defined as treating employees unfairly based upon a characteristic that is protected by law. This could be your age, gender, disability, race or religion. The following are some of the ways you can become aware of inherent discrimination in your workplace.

Negotiating severance pay in California

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in employment law on Friday, December 28, 2018.

If you have recently had your employment terminated in the state of California, it is likely that you will be feeling quite shocked and worried about your future. It is common for employers to disregard the rights of their employees during the process of employment termination, whether intentionally or intentionally. This is why it is important that you familiarize yourself on your rights to seek and negotiate severance pay.

There are several ways in which severance pay can be distributed in the state of California. It may be that you are given a lump-sum payment after your employment termination, or you may continue to receive payments for a certain period of time after you stop working for the company.

Should I pursue a class action lawsuit for unpaid overtime?

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys posted in wage and hour claims on Friday, December 14, 2018.

All employees in the state of California have the right to be paid overtime if they are eligible under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). However, many employers fall short on payment responsibilities regarding their employees. Some employees are owed months or even years of unpaid overtime, which in some cases can amount to thousands of dollars.

If you believe that you are owed unpaid overtime in the state of California, it is important that you take the time to understand your legal rights to reclaiming it back. Many workers who are owed unpaid overtime opt to pursue a class action lawsuit. If you are considering pursuing a class action lawsuit, it is important that you understand the nature of making such a claim.

Former Beverly Hills police captain settles discrimination suit

On behalf of Barrera & Associates, Attorneys on Friday, December 7, 2018.

A former police captain for the Beverly Hills Police Department filed a lawsuit alleging he faced discrimination based on his age and religion at work. According to CBS Los Angeles, the city agreed to a $2.3 million settlement. Rosen’s case was scheduled to go to trial next week, but as part of his settlement, he will now retire this week.