The state of California, just like the rest of the states, has its own set of employment laws. These are in place to protect employees in the workplace. When California employers become familiar with the most common employment law claims, they can work toward preventing being accused of them.
What are the Most Common California Employment Law Claims?
The most common claims in California involve discrimination in the workplace due to the following:
• Race, religion, national origin and color
• Sex/gender, gender identity or gender expression
• Age, typically for those age 40 and older
• Sexual orientation
• Disability, medical conditions and military or veteran status
• Pregnancy and things associated with it
What are the Top 5 Employment Law Claims in the State?
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gathers data on claims brought against companies. There are many different types of discrimination and sometimes, several can be included in a single claim. In 2015, these were the five more common claims:
• Race: In 2015, 34.7 percent of claims involved racial discrimination. A claim can be filed if a person is of a specific race and is discriminated against or treated unfairly while employed by a company or while they are a job applicant. Additionally, if someone is treated a certain way because they are married to or associated with someone else who is of a certain race, that person has a claim as well.
• Sex: A claim can be made if someone believes they are being discriminated due to their gender. Gender identity and transgender status are also included in such a claim. In 2015, 29.5 percent of California claims involved this type of discrimination.
• Retaliation: Unbelievably, 44.5 percent of claims were regarding retaliation, which generally occurs when a worker files a discrimination complaint against a company and is mistreated as a result.
• Age: In 2015, 22.5 percent of claims cited age discrimination. This applies when the employee or job applicant is 40 or older.
• Disability: The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against. However, 30.2 percent of employment law claims in California involved discrimination for a disability. In addition to mental and physical disabilities, having certain illnesses is also considered a disability.
If you believe you have a legitimate claim regarding an employment law violation, contact an employment law attorney at CounselOne at your earliest convenience to discuss your case.