Employment Law Firm in California
Employment Law Firm in California
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) exists to prohibit discrimination based on a variety of characteristics, including age. If an employee has been demoted, fired, denied a position, or treated unfairly because of his or her age, they may have grounds for an age discrimination lawsuit.
An aggrieved employee may bring an age discrimination claim under FEHA or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).The ADEA (29 U.S.C. § § 621-634) is the primary federal law that prohibits an employer from discriminating against any employee or job applicant who is at least 40 years old.
Further, the ADEA applies to all private employers with at least 20 employees, as well as federal and local governments. ADEA also applies to state governments. However, state employees are not permitted to sue them directly for age discrimination.
How does the ADEA protect me from age discrimination?
The ADEA protects all workers from age discrimination in every stage of the employment relationship, from firing to hiring, and everything in between. This includes:
Finally, it’s important to know that not only does the ADEA prohibit employers from discriminating against older employees — while showing a preference for employees younger than 40 — it also forbids employers from discriminating among older workers. This means that, for example, an employer cannot choose between a 41 year old over a 51 year old because one is younger.
As mentioned, it is illegal to discriminate against an employee in all aspects of the employment process, from hiring to firing, and everything in between. It is also illegal for an employer to retaliate against any individual who opposes employment practices that serve to discriminate based on a persons’s age, or for filing an age discrimination claim, and/or participating in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA.
ADEA protections apply to:
FEHA offers protections for employees who are retaliated against for:
Further, an employer is forbidden from taking retaliatory action — such as reducing pay or termination — against any employee who cites discrimination or harassment violations or who files an age discrimination lawsuit.
An employer who fires an employee simply for filing an age discrimination claim is guilty of wrongful termination. An employee who is retaliated against for reporting age discrimination may be able to file a complaint with the Department Of Fair Employment and Housing or file a lawsuit against their former employee for retaliation or wrongful termination.
An employee who was discriminated against because they are over the age of 40 can sue their employer for age discrimination. Typically, an employee has to first file a complaint with the DFEH or EEOC before they may file a lawsuit in court.
A right to sue letter is a requirement before your case can be taken to court. It is possible to request a letter before going through a DFEH or EEOC investigation, but your age discrimination complaint will not be investigated by the DFEH. Proceeding to court before undergoing a DFEH investigation is only recommended if you have already retained an age discrimination lawyer.
If you have made up your mind to take action, it is important to work with an attorney that specializes in cases like yours. The age discrimination lawyers at West Coast Employment Lawyers have extensive experience handling age discrimination cases. We will work tirelessly to gather the facts, find and interview eyewitnesses, hire experts, and fight for your rights.
We work on a contingency basis, which means we only get attorney’s fees if we are able to recover for you. Our legal team is available 24/7 and will take care of your case from start to finish. For a free no-obligation consultation with an age discriminaton attorney in California, contact our office at 1-800-247-9235.
Neama and Allen are awesome lawyers and handled my case as if it was their own. If you are searching for attentive, aggressive, and compassionate lawyers, this is the law firm you need to go with! Their entire team is so professional and never had me questioning their work…Thank you to everyone who helped me get through this tough time of my life.
Dezi
I want to give a huge THANK YOU to the whole West Coast Employment Lawyers team for all your attention, help, support, dedication, professionalism, and RESULTS... you guys made the entire experience from start to finish easy, simple, and confusion free. I will recommend you guys to anyone I know that needs a lawyer.
Robert
This firm was extremely professional! The took over the entire process for us, from beginning to end… I'm not sure what I was expecting but they were fantastic. They helped us make the right decisions and got us great settlements. My mom doesn't have a yelp account but trust me, I speak for both of us when I say I highly recommend their services.
Amir
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