×
Menu
Search

Oakland, CA Discrimination Lawyers

Home / Oakland, CA Discrimination Lawyers

Oakland, CA Discrimination Lawyers

Being discriminated against on the job can lead to serious consequences that affect both your career and your livelihood. There are important laws in place to help protect employees from discrimination. Identifying and proving discrimination in the workplace, however, is a complex legal matter that makes working closely with an experienced Oakland, CA discrimination lawyer from the start in your best interest.  

Laws against Discrimination

There are primary federal laws that protect employees against discrimination at work, and California, CA has some of the most comprehensive discrimination laws in the nation. Discrimination laws apply to a wide range of business practices that include all the following:

  • Advertisements
  • Working conditions 
  • Compensation 
  • The application, screening, and interview process
  • The hiring, promoting, transferring, terminating, or separating of employees
  • Employee participation in training or apprenticeship programs, employee organizations, or unions

Protected Classes

The following classifications are protected under both federal and California law:

  • Age – for those who are at least 40
  • Race, skin color, ethnicity, and national origin
  • Sex, including gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation
  • Religion
  • Genetic information
  • Pregnancy and related matters
  • Veteran or military status

California law extends and expands employee protections in the following areas:

  • Marital status
  • Medical conditions
  • Pregnancy and decision-making related to reproductive health
  • Ancestry
  • Traits traditionally associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles

The Many Forms of Discrimination

Discrimination on the job can take a wide range of harmful forms that include the following:

  • Disparate treatment that takes the employee’s protected status into consideration in relation to an adverse action is illegal. For example, a pregnant woman who is laid off – while another, less-qualified employee is not – is likely a case of disparate treatment. 
  • Disparate impact refers to defined practices that appear nondiscriminatory, but that lead to discriminatory outcomes. Examples include minimum height requirements, physical agility tests, and requirements related to facial hair. 
  • Retaliation refers to employer actions that are designed to punish employees for exercising their right to participate in protected activities, such as whistleblowing.

Sexual Harassment

It’s important to recognize that sexual harassment is considered a form of discrimination. While sexual harassment can take many different forms, it breaks down into two basic classifications that include: 

  • Sexual harassment that is quid pro quo, which means something for something and bases a favorable work outcome on a sexual requirement 
  • Sexual harassment that creates a hostile work environment 

While sexual harassment can take many forms, the kinds of practices that tend to qualify include:

  • Making sexual advances that are unwelcome
  • Providing employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors 
  • Making derogatory, graphic, or sexually degrading comments or jokes or using epithets or slurs
  • Sending sexually suggestive messages or invitations
  • Leering or displaying sexually suggestive pictures, posters, objects, or cartoons
  • Physically assaulting, touching, or impeding or blocking someone else’s movements  

Turn to an Experienced Oakland, CA Discrimination Lawyer for the Help You Need Today

Jeannette Vaccaro at The Law Office of Jeannette A. Vaccaro in Oakland, CA is a compassionate discrimination lawyer who recognizes how damaging discrimination at work can be and is well prepared to skillfully advocate for both your rights and your rightful compensation. Learn more about how the firm can help by contacting us today. 

Think You May
Have A Case?

Jeannette is passionate about employee rights. She fights to shed light on injustices and to help her clients move beyond troubling times. Contact Jeannette today for a free case evaluation.

Jeannette A. Vaccaro is a Passionate and zealous advocate, representing employees in all facets of employment law.

Think You May Have A Case?

Jeannette is passionate about employee rights. She fights to shed light on injustices and to help her clients move beyond troubling times. Contact Jeannette today for a free case evaluation.

What Our Clients Say

Free Resource

Rights and Responsibilities of Disabled Employees In California Law