San Bernardino Employment & Consumer Law Firm

California provides important protections for workers against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other unlawful employment practices. San Bernardino employees may also have rights involving wages, reasonable accommodations, and medical or family leave.

At Matern Law Group, PC, our San Bernardino employment lawyers represent workers who believe their workplace rights have been violated. We help employees understand their legal options and pursue remedies available under California and federal employment laws.

Contact us if you have experienced discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, or another potential violation of your workplace rights. Request a free consultation to learn more about your options.

Employment Discrimination in San Bernardino

Employment discrimination may occur when an employer treats a worker unfavorably because of a protected characteristic, such as race, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or another characteristic protected by law.

Examples of potential workplace discrimination include:

• Refusing to hire someone because of a protected characteristic
• Denying a promotion for discriminatory reasons
• Paying an employee less because of a protected characteristic
• Harassing a worker because of race, gender, disability, pregnancy, or another protected characteristic
• Firing or taking other adverse action against an employee for discriminatory reasons

Important laws protecting San Bernardino workers include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

Workplace Harassment

Unlawful workplace harassment may occur when unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic creates a hostile work environment or otherwise meets the requirements of applicable law. This can include certain verbal, physical, or sexual conduct based on race, sex, gender, disability, religion, pregnancy, or another protected characteristic.

If you experience workplace harassment, consider documenting what happened and using your employer’s internal reporting procedures when appropriate. You may also want to speak with an employment lawyer about your rights and options.

Wrongful Termination and Retaliation

Although California generally follows the “at-will” employment rule, an employer cannot terminate an employee for an unlawful reason.

A termination may give rise to a legal claim when it involves discrimination, retaliation for legally protected activity, certain violations of public policy, or breach of an applicable employment agreement.

Retaliation may also be unlawful when an employer takes adverse action against a worker for reporting discrimination or harassment, requesting a reasonable accommodation, taking protected leave, or engaging in another legally protected activity.

Medical and Family Leave

Eligible employees may have the right to job-protected leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA).

Depending on the law and circumstances, these protections can provide up to 12 weeks of leave for certain qualifying reasons, including an employee’s serious health condition, caring for certain family members, or bonding with a new child.

Other protections may apply to pregnancy, disability, and certain medical needs. Employers cannot unlawfully interfere with protected leave or retaliate against workers for exercising their rights.

What Does an Employment Law Firm Do?

An employment lawyer can help you understand your workplace rights and determine whether the circumstances of your employment may support a legal claim.

Our attorneys can help with:

• Reviewing the facts and documents related to your situation
• Explaining the laws and legal options that may apply
• Identifying and organizing relevant evidence
• Negotiating with employers and their attorneys when appropriate
• Representing workers in litigation and other legal proceedings

Consider speaking with an employment lawyer if:

• You have experienced workplace harassment or discrimination
• You were fired or faced retaliation after exercising a protected right
• You were denied leave or an accommodation you may have been entitled to
• You believe you were not properly paid wages or overtime
• You are considering bringing a claim against your employer

Deadlines for employment claims vary depending on the type of claim and the law involved. Some claims also require an administrative complaint before a lawsuit can proceed. Because different deadlines may apply, it can be important to evaluate your rights as soon as possible.

Employment Class Actions

Employment class actions can allow groups of workers with similar claims to pursue relief collectively. These cases may involve wage and hour practices, workplace policies, discrimination, or other conduct affecting multiple employees.

For a case to proceed as a class action, specific legal requirements must be satisfied and the court generally must certify the class. An employment lawyer can evaluate whether an individual claim, class action, or another legal approach may be appropriate.

How Can Matern Law Group Help?

Matern Law Group represents workers in matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, protected leave, and other potential violations of California employment law.

Our team helps employees understand their rights, evaluate their options, and pursue available remedies based on the circumstances of each case.

If you believe your workplace rights have been violated in San Bernardino, contact Matern Law Group, PC for a free consultation. Fill out our online form to learn more about how we may be able to help.