Los Angeles Employment Law Blog

Women in California may have good reason to be concerned about pregnancy discrimination on the job. While the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 was intended to address this issue (the act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to designate it as a form of sex discrimination), women continue to report significant problems in the workplace. Even after many large companies advertise benefits like parental leave and work-life balance, many expecting mothers have found that their workplaces continue to pass them over for responsibilities and promotions.

A complaint filed by a former California employee of Wells Fargo Bank has been reinstated by a federal appeals court after a divided ruling. The former employee filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the bank, arguing that she had been subject to discrimination and retaliation as well as violations of the California Family Rights Act. While she was on leave after giving birth to her child, she was fired from her position as a loan officer at the bank.

Finding work can be difficult for transgender people in California and around the country. About a quarter of the transgender people polled by the National Center for Transgender Equality in 2015 said that they had been denied work, passed over for promotion or fired because of their gender identity, but more recent research conducted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation suggests that American workplaces are becoming more tolerant and welcoming to those who do not identify with the genders they were assigned at birth.

In California, experienced workers may be subject to a specialized work experienced targeting method where the upper limit on an employee’s work history could be used for employment discrimination. The EEOC is examining the practice of using a person’s work experience when used for the purpose of age discrimination. The language used in job descriptions may be used to filter out protected groups; the terminology may have been used to discourage older workers or those who may not be a proper fit for a company’s culture.

As the discussion of sexual harassment continues to dominate headlines, many California employees are still having to deal with uncomfortable situations on the job. According to a CareerBuilder survey, 72 percent of workers who experienced harassment on the job did not share their experiences with their employers. Of those who reported sexual harassment, nearly 54 percent report not confronting the offender.

Which industries come to mind when you think about age discrimination? Professions such as model or athlete probably come to mind. These jobs revolve around youth and are not reflective of regular occupations open to all types of people. The sector that faces the most age discrimination is the tech industry, reports Business Insider. At first, you may think this makes sense because technology is ever-changing and the current generation is the most adept at working with technology. However, a study by Visier shows that there is more than meets the eye.

Tesla is being sued by a former employee who claims he was wrongfully terminated from his position for reporting theft by a co-worker. He further claims that he was subjected to race discrimination. The California-based company has been sued multiple times for discrimination over the last year. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Alameda Superior County Court on May 15, the plaintiff was employed as an Operations Associate Manager at Tesla’s Fremont assembly plant until October 2017.

California residents who are trying to start a family while continuing to work may be interested to learn that on May 14, two women filed discrimination lawsuits against AT&T Mobility. The women claimed that the company fired them after they had pregnancy-related absences. According to the lawsuit, which was being handled by the American Civil Liberties Union and attorneys for the women, the company assigns point-based demerits as part of their attendance policy.