Articles Posted in Employment Discrimination

A state appellate court recently issued a decision in a plaintiff’s appeal regarding a trial court’s response to a jury question in a California hostile workplace lawsuit. The plaintiff alleged that she was sexually harassed by the principal of a school where she taught. She claimed that starting around September 2013 the principal sexually harassed her, resulting in a hostile work environment. The complaint also alleged that the school district failed to take the steps necessary to prevent harassment and retaliation.

In this case, the court instructed the jury that the plaintiff’s claim for failure to prevent a hostile workplace required that she establish that the principal and school district failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent retaliation, and their failure was a substantial factor in her harm. During the trial, the jury asked the trial judge whether these questions referred to allegations before September 2013. The court instructed the jury to only consider the period after September 2013, reasoning that there was no evidence to substantiate any harassment before that time. On appeal, the plaintiff argued that the instruction excluded relevant evidence, ultimately denying her rights to a constitutional jury trial.

The California Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA), protects employees from discrimination and harassment in employment based on their protected class. The law prevents discrimination based on a person’s race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, age, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, AIDS/HIV, medical condition, political affiliations, military status, and status as a victim of domestic violence or assault. In these cases, the plaintiff/employee bears the ultimate burden of proof.

Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued an opinion in a California age discrimination lawsuit. The lower court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim, finding that the statute of limitations did not toll, and the plaintiff’s case was filed too late. However, on appeal, the court reversed the lower court’s decision, allowing the plaintiff’s case to proceed.

The Facts of the Case

According to the court’s opinion, the plaintiff was employed as a sheet metal worker with the defendant employer. During his tenure there, the plaintiff received “exemplary” evaluations. However, on December 3, 2013, the employer fired the plaintiff.

After the plaintiff filed a grievance, it was discovered that the employees hired to replace him were all under 30 years of age. The company responded by agreeing to rehire the plaintiff, but refused to pay him back wages.

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A lawsuit filed by a former Uber driver from San Diego claims the ride-sharing company’s system to rate its drivers is racially biased.

Thomas Liu was fired in October 2015 when his star rating fell below 4.6. In its app, Uber asks passengers to rate drivers on a scale of one to five.

Lawsuit claims race plays a role in star ratings

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibit employers from discriminating against anyone because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

While limited exceptions exist – for religious institutions and companies with fewer than five employees – the vast majority of workers and job applicants in California are protected. Those exemptions do not allow employers to harass workers for any reason.

What constitutes LGBTQ harassment?

Workers now have one year to file a discrimination or retaliation lawsuit against their employer with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1947 into law on Sept. 30.

Before the measure became law, employees had six months after a violation occurred to file a complaint for cases involving discrimination over age, race, sexual orientation, disability, sex and gender, pregnancy, religion, national origin and family responsibilities.

Recovery for retaliation claims can include attorney fees

When employers fail to take job applicants’ or employees’ caregiving obligations into account, they may be guilty of family responsibilities discrimination (FRD).

In California, companies cannot consider an employee’s real or perceived caregiving role to deny raises, promotions, reduce their pay or take other adverse actions, such as harassment and discrimination.

Caregivers face discrimination in many forms

Most employer-employee relationships in California are on an at-will basis, meaning either party can terminate the relationship for almost any reason, with or without cause.

However, wrongful termination occurs when employers fire workers for retaliatory reasons or unlawful motivations, such as discrimination.

Worker protections under California law

America is supposed to be the land of opportunity. They say if you put in the time and effort, you can lead a happy and financially stable life. However, if you’re a minority, your chances of upward mobility may look a little different. According to the American Bar Association, structural racism is still a common problem for many workers today.

Federal and state laws make it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race. However, dominant groups keep the deck stacked in their favor. They often do this by hiring, promoting and giving raises to their own kind, even if they’re not as qualified.

Racial workplace discrimination spans decades in the U.S.

Californians living with a disability already face many challenges in their everyday lives. Those struggles exponentially increase when employers treat them differently in the workplace or the application process.

In addition to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), California enforces state laws protecting the disabled, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Disabled Persons Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (CFEHA).

Which disabilities are included?

According to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), workplace retaliation continues to be the most frequently filed complaint in California and across the nation. Retaliation claims are often filed after workers experience other forms of discrimination.

Federal and state laws protect employees from discrimination over age, disability, race, sex and gender, sexual orientation, harassment, pregnancy, religion, national origin and family responsibilities. It is also illegal for employers to take action against workers who assert their rights for these protected activities.

Most frequently filed charges