Orange County Employment Attorneys

Orange County is an attractive location for employees who work in almost every type of industry from technology to tourism. Businesses range from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Workers in all these job sectors have the right to expect they will be treated fairly. There are federal, state, and local laws that provide specific employment protections. These protections include the right to be free from discrimination, pay and benefit rights, the right to work without fear of sexual harassment or abuse, the right to assert their legal rights, and other rights.

At Miracle Mile Law Group, our Orange County employment attorneys are seasoned employee rights advocates. We file and argue cases before governmental agencies and in federal and state courts. We demand that employers pay you all the compensation you deserve. We affirm your right to reasonable accommodations to do your job. You have the right to work in a nonhostile work environment. There are overtime pay laws, laws on minimum wage, laws about rest breaks, and man other laws that protect workers.

If you have any concerns about your right to obtain work, keep work, and your treatment by your Orange County employer – rest assured our employee rights lawyers have the experience and resources to help you obtain justice.

Our Orange County employment attorneys handle a broad range of employee rights issues including:

• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
• Pregnancy Discrimination Claims
• Wage and Hour Claims
• Workplace Discrimination Claims
• Wrongful Termination Claims
• Class Action Employment Law Cases

Orange County employment relationships are divided into two general categories – workers who have written employment contracts and at-will workers (workers without written contracts).

• Workers with written contracts. Employers often have written contracts for managers, supervisors, people who are good at bringing in customers, and workers with special skills. Employers also may be bound by collective bargaining agreements which are written contracts that provide employment protects for many union workers in a company. These contracts generally hire workers on a year-to-year or regular basis. Provided workers do their job according to acceptable work standards, Orange County employers should not be able to discharge them – without good reasons/good cause.
• Workers without written contracts. These workers are called at-will workers. This means your Orange County employer can terminate your employment at -will without cause. However, there are limits. Employers can’t discriminate against you when they fire you. Employee firings cannot violate accepted public policy in California. Generally, employers cannot fire employees:
  • Based on discrimination. Discrimination means judging someone based on their race, gender, national origin, disability status, age, or other characteristics.
  • In retaliation for asserting their rights. Some of these rights include the right to file a whistleblower claim, file a discrimination or sexual harassment claim, or fulfill a legal duty such as serving on a jury.
  • Claiming a worker didn’t do his/her job – even though the employer failed to provide reasonable accommodations or created a hostile work environment.
  • If the employee violates the California WARN Act.

If you are wrongfully terminated by your Orange County employer, we encourage you to speak to our Orange County Employment Attorneys today for a free case evaluation.

A successful sexual harassment claim could result in payment for economic and noneconomic damages caused by the negligence of your employer, including emotional distress, mental anguish, and post-traumatic stress. Most civil sexual harassment claims involve four elements of proof.

• The defendant owed a duty to exercise reasonable care
• The defendant failed to fulfill this duty of care
• You suffered because of the defendant’s breach of duty (suffered sexual harassment)
• The defendant’s actions caused you compensable damages

Federal and state laws generally protect Orange County employees from discrimination based on their:

• Race or ethnicity
• Having a disability
• National origin
• Age (if 40 or older)
• Sex, gender, or sexual orientation
• Pregnancy
• Military status
• Religion

In discrimination cases, our Orange County employment lawyers file claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the California Department of Fair Housing and Employment (CDFHE). If the claim can’t be resolved at the agency level, we then file discrimination lawsuits in federal or California courts.

The discrimination laws apply to more than just wrongful termination. Orange County employers cannot discriminate in:

• Hiring
• Firing
• Job advancement
• Many other workplace conditions

Starting January 1, 2021, all employers in Orange County must pay their employees at least $13 an hour. Employers with 26 or more employees must pay their employees at least $14 an hour. The minimum wage will increase to $15 for all employers in the next few years.

California employers must provide sick leave to their employees. Sick leave accumulates at the rate of one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked – up to a maximum of three days of sick leave – though employers can always offer more than the state minimum. There may be additional sick leave requirements during the COVID-19 crisis that our employee rights lawyers can explain.

With limited exceptions, workers who work more than 40 hours a week are entitled to time-and-a-half pay for overtime pay. For example, a worker who is earning $16 an hour should be paid $24 an hour for overtime work. California workers including Orange County workers are entitled to regular rest breaks.

If your employer violates these sick leave, overtime pay, and rest break requirements – your employer can be ordered to pay statutory damages – And the amount of pay and benefits you lost.

Our lawyers also advise Orange County workers about their rights to:

• Severance pay based on an employment contract or collective bargaining contract
• Privacy – such as when employers can and can’t run background checks
• Retirement benefits
• Work with competitors – if you’re fired or voluntarily leave a company
• Use the employer’s intellectual property.

At Miracle Mile Law Group, our Orange County Employment Attorneys protect your rights. Our attorneys demand job reinstatement, back pay and benefits, legal fees, fines, and statutory damages, and other damages permitted in Orange County. We help you prepare your case, obtain evidence about your employment, and argue your legal rights in court.

To discuss your Orange County employee rights, please call us at (888) 244-0706 or contact us online for a FREE case evaluation.