Sexual Harassment
California has enacted strong laws to protect employees against sexual harassment and to hold perpetrators and employers accountable when harassment happens. Sexual assault, demands for dates or sex to keep your job, offensive texts or emails, intrusive questions about your private life and inappropriate comments about your body are just some examples of prohibited sexual harassment. If someone has targeted you for harassment, you need an experienced lawyer on your side.
Discrimination
Our employment laws recognize that people are entitled to be treated equally regardless of their race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion and other protected characteristics. Unfortunately, legal protections alone don’t stop some managers and employers from engaging in discrimination. It takes courageous employees standing up for their legal rights to stop discrimination. If you have been terminated from your job or otherwise discriminated against, it’s time to find a seasoned lawyer.
Retaliation
Employers encourage employees to report harassment and discrimination at work. But all too often, employees face retaliation for doing the right thing. Companies circle the wagons around the perpetrator instead of protecting the employee who reported what they experienced. Employer retaliation against people who report harassment or discrimination unravels the fabric of legal protections in employment. And it is strictly illegal. If you took the courageous step of reporting harassment or discrimination and then faced retaliation, our dedicated lawyers may be able to help.
Whistleblowers
Your workplace and the work you do operate under the rule of law. Sometimes employees witness or are expected to participate in activities that are illegal. As a society, we count on individuals to become whistleblowers if necessary. Yet reporting illegal activity or refusing to participate may mean risking your job. If you lost your job or are facing retaliation for your role as a whistleblower, our attorneys want to hear.
Severance Negotiation
Signing a severance agreement is a serious decision since it means giving up your right to pursue any claims you may have against your former employer. Before you sign, it’s advisable to confer with a knowledgeable attorney to make sure you fully understand what claims you are signing away and whether there are illegal or lop-sided provisions that need to be removed or revised. We have decades of experience negotiating and are available to review and advise on severance agreements and, when needed, we will engage in negotiations directly with your employer to secure more advantageous compensation and terms for you.
Employment Agreements
Sharon Vinick advises on and negotiates executive compensation agreements for C-suite and other employees across industries, including technology, biotech, financial services, entertainment, start-ups and more. She also has experience and knowledge in the specialized area of rabbinic contracts, and is available to work with rabbis and rabbinical students to memorialize an equitable and supportive agreement with a congregation.
Alameda County Courthouse Photo by: Richard A. Walker © Creative Commons 2018
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