Redondo Beach California Employment Law Blog

What if your boss asks you to go on a date?

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in wrongful termination on Friday, August 16, 2019.

Office romances are common, to some degree because the office is simply the place where people socialize the most. In the same way that you once met people to date in classes in high school or at college, you may find yourself striking up relationships with people at work.

This is not always a great situation, though, and some companies even have policies to prevent it. They note that there can be a lot of negative consequences, such as:

Experiencing jealousy from other workers
Having other workers think you get preferential treatment
Negative consequences when the relationship doesn't work out
Possible ethical violations

Educational requirements and intent

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in discrimination on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

When setting educational requirements for a job, it's important for the requirements to be relevant to the job at hand. There has to be a reason for the employer to set that standard. This is to keep employers from discriminating based on educational levels.

One important thing to consider when deciding if the requirements are legal or not is the intent. In some cases, employers may set standards in an effort to make it impossible for certain groups of people to apply for the positions. This allows them to discriminate against those groups without expressly saying that's what they're doing.

Gender discrimination is more common when women are a minority

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in discrimination on Thursday, July 18, 2019.

Look at your current workplace. Do you feel like there are more men than women?

If so, it is very important to note that women in these workplaces, which are dominated by male workers, reported more instances of gender discrimination than women in workplaces where the breakdown was more equal between male and female workers.

When does someone have a valid wrongful termination case?

On behalf of Teren Law Group on Friday, July 5, 2019.

If you've been terminated from your job, it's natural to turn your immediate focus to finding a new position. While this is important, you should also focus on the details surrounding your termination.

A wrongful termination is any firing that results in your employer violating local, state and/or federal laws.

4 things people do other than report harassment

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in Sexual harassment on Friday, July 5, 2019.

When people face sexual harassment in the workplace, they often do not come forward and report it. In some cases, even if they do, they wait for years to do so. It's important to understand why this happens and what they may do instead.

Researchers claim that four things they do other than reporting the behavior are:

Denying that the harassment happened or attempting to downplay the seriousness of the issue
Attempting to avoid the person who harassed them, in hopes that it will end
Tying to endure the harassment without putting an end to it
Trying to forget about the harassment or just attempting to ignore that it is happening

Discrimination still happens, but it's often subtle

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in discrimination on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

If you get to work and find racial slurs written on the glass door to your office, it's fairly obvious that you are being harassed and discriminated against on the job. It's things like this -- and worse -- that are why we have such extensive anti-discrimination laws today.

However, that does not mean discrimination doesn't happen. It's often just more subtle now than it used to be.

Contractor misclassification is high on federal radar

On behalf of Teren Law Group on Thursday, June 13, 2019.

For many employers, it's tempting to classify workers as independent contractors to avoid employment taxes, providing benefits or paying overtime.

However, according to an article published in the Claims Journal, the federal government has gotten wise to this practice. Government workers are on the lookout for business owners who are trying to thwart the system by classifying their employees as independent contractors.

Examples of mental health discrimination

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in discrimination on Friday, June 7, 2019.

Your struggles with mental health issues are hard enough to deal with on your own. It takes everything you have to stay on top of it and live a fulfilling life. The last thing you need is to face discrimination in the workplace based on your condition.

Fortunately for you, you are generally protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This applies in all states, including California. You cannot be discriminated against on account of your mental health condition, just as you cannot be discriminated against because of your age, gender, race or religion.

Are men's fears hurting women's opportunities in the #MeToo era?

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in Sexual harassment on Monday, May 20, 2019.

The #MeToo movement has raised awareness of the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. However, this increased awareness of what's acceptable behavior may be having troubling consequences, according to a new study by SurveyMonkey and LeanIn.Org.

In the study, 60 percent of men in senior management positions said that they're uncomfortable working one-on-one with women who are their subordinates. That's up 32% from last year.

What is California's C.R.O.W.N. Act?

On behalf of Teren Law Group posted in discrimination on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Racial discrimination can take many forms. According to a bill recently passed unanimously by the California State Senate, it includes regulations involving "traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles."

The bill -- SB 188 -- is known as the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (C.R.O.W.N) Act. It would amend the state's current anti-discrimination laws to prohibit workplaces as well as schools from having dress codes that don't allow employees or students to have natural hairstyles. These include styles such as afros, twists, braids and dreadlocks.