Workplace Discrimination

Standing Up Against Unfair And Unequal Treatment At Work

Here at the Law Offices of Christopher H. Whelan, we have decades of experience litigating and taking to trial workplace discrimination cases in California. California law prohibits discrimination based upon but not limited to age, race, sex, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identify, disability, pregnancy and other characteristics that fall under a protected class of persons. California is known as one of the best, if not the best, state at protecting its employees. Discrimination claims are governed by federal and state laws, including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

We handle claims involving:

Age discrimination
Disability discrimination (physical or mental)
Pregnancy discrimination
Gender discrimination
Martial Status
Medical Conditions
Race/national origin/religion
Sexual orientation
Military or veteran status
Political affiliation or activities

Adverse employment actions can take various forms, and if motivated or caused by illegal discriminatory reasons, can be the basis of a lawsuit we can fight on your behalf. Adverse employment actions include, but not limited to:

Termination or firing.
Demotion or reassignment to a lower position.
Reduction in pay or benefits.
Denial of promotion or advancement opportunities.
Imposition of unjustified disciplinary actions or performance evaluations.
Exclusion from training programs or other professional development opportunities.
Harassment or hostile work environment.
Retaliation for engaging in protected activities, such as reporting, or opposing discrimination or filing a complaint.

Questions About Workplace Discrimination?

If you believe your employer treated you unfairly because of a protected characteristic, you may have legal rights under California and federal law.

Call Our Office

Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) California Government Code 12940, et seq.

In California the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) provides protection to job applicants and employees against employment discrimination based on protected characteristics, such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or pregnancy and childbirth-related conditions.

Your inclusion in any of these protected classes is not enough for a strong claim of discrimination, harassment etc. You must also show by a preponderance of the evidence that the adverse job action (i.e. firing, demotion etc.) was caused by the protected characteristic. This requires strong evidence to establish a clear link between the protected class characteristic and the discriminatory treatment, or adverse action suffered.

If you suspect that you have been discriminated against based on the above listed traits, please contact our office immediately to start the process of a potential workplace discrimination claim. Here at the Law Offices of Christopher H. Whelan, Inc. we have decades of experience in handling these cases and we have successfully taken a variety of workplace discrimination matters to trial. We understanding the importance of any such action to your life and we are here to dedicate our decades of skill and experience to help fight for your rights.

OUR EXPERIENCE IN DISCRIMINATION CASES

Some of our representative cases involving discrimination that we successfully took to trial include: Medro Johnson v. Sears (race discrimination, verdict and fees $8,400,000), Richards v. CH2M Hill (2001) 26 Cal.4th 798 (disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, constructive termination and continuing violation, verdict and fees $2,362,000), Roby v. McKesson HBOC (2009) 47 Cal.4th 686 (disability discrimination and harassment; verdict and fees $19,742,668) and the federal case, DesRosiers v. Hartford Ins. (2013) 979 F. Supp. 2d 1036 (disability discrimination, failure to accommodate).