Workplace discrimination has become a widespread issue in Los Angeles — not just in LA, but also all over California and the United States. In fact, one in every three of us has either witnessed or experienced discrimination in the workplace. While both federal and state laws protect employees in California from all types of workplace discrimination, how soon should you act and seek help from a discrimination attorney? The answer is immediately. A Los Angeles discrimination attorney can guide you on the correct plan of action.
When to act against workplace discrimination
If you’ve witnessed or experienced workplace discrimination, do keep in mind that there are strict deadlines on pursuing discrimination claims. In Los Angeles, employees have only 1 year from the discriminatory act to file a claim with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). It’s highly recommended to hire a discrimination attorney who wouldn’t charge fees if you don’t obtain a favorable settlement in your discrimination case. JML Law has built a solid reputation in Los Angeles and has been at the forefront of the fight against discrimination in the state where at least 20,000 discrimination cases are filed with the DFEH annually. Call JML Law at 818-610-8800 to schedule a meeting with a Los Angeles discrimination attorney.
Why hire a discrimination attorney
Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. endure some type of discrimination daily, but only a handful of them act. Many are reluctant to file a discrimination claim out of fear of making themselves an even larger target of discrimination at work, while others think the lawsuit would never end in settlement. However, statistics show that about 70% of all discrimination lawsuits end in settlement and nearly 4% of them end in trial. In fact, the DFEH’s annual report in 2010 showed that the average post-accusation settlement exceeded $40,000, while an average cost for an employer to defend an action totaled $250,000.
How widespread is employment discrimination
The four most common types of employment discrimination today are:
- Race, including racial harassment;
- Sex, including sexual harassment and pregnancy;
- Disability;
- Age.
In 2011 alone, a total of nearly 2,400 racial discrimination charges were filed by California-based workers. When filing a racial discrimination complaint with the DFEH, it’s vital to consult a Los Angeles discrimination attorney to help sort out the evidence you secured, draft and send legal documents to the employer and help you acquire reasonable amount of damages. Nearly 3 out of every 10 discrimination charges in the U.S. are for sex discrimination, while sexual harassment affects 1 in 3 of all working women in the country. In fact, just earlier this week, a Los Angeles restaurant LA Louisanne discharged an employee because of her pregnancy and was later slapped with a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.
