Our Expertise

Employment Law

Unfortunately, employers do not always have workers’ best interests in mind. If your employer is violating your rights, it is crucial to have a skilled employment law attorney at your side.
We are on your side. Whether you are dealing with discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination or any other form of employer wrongdoing, you need an attorney who will fight for your rights. Our knowledgeable lawyers are experienced in a wide variety of practice areas, including:

• FEHA: California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) specifically prohibits workplace harassment and discrimination. If you believe your rights have been violated, please call our firm today.
• Equal Pay Act: State and federal laws both require employers to pay the same wages to men and women for similar work. If your employer has broken these laws, our firm will work diligently to help you recover any lost wages.
• Failure to accommodate: Did your employer fail to accommodate your medical condition? Did you lose your job because of your medical condition? Call our knowledgeable attorneys to find out how we can assist you.
• FMLA and CFRA: Both the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) allow workers to take leave because of a pregnancy or medical condition or to care for an immediate family member. If your employer discriminated against you because of this, our attorneys will work to help you get the compensation you deserve.
• Hostile work environment: Have you been a victim of racial or sexual harassment in the workplace? This behavior is illegal, and our team is dedicated to protecting your rights.
• Retaliation: If you are facing retaliation from your employer after you reported discrimination, harassment or any other illegal activity, your rights are being violated. Call today to learn how our skilled legal team can help you.
• Severance agreements: If you have been offered a severance package, it is wise to enlist the help of a knowledgeable lawyer who can review the offer and ensure that your best interests are represented.
• Unpaid overtime: Our experienced team will work hard to help you recover any overtime wages that your employer has not paid.
• Whistleblower retaliation: If you did the right thing by reporting illegal activity in your workplace, you should not be a victim of threats, disciplinary action, termination or any other form of retaliation. For strong representation in these matters, please call our firm today.
• Workers’ compensation: Whether you are filing a claim, having a dispute with your employer or waiting to get full and fair compensation for your injuries, our law firm is here to assist you.
• Wrongful termination: Have you been wrongfully terminated? Call our experienced lawyers today and find out how we can help.

Workplace Harassment

Workplace harassment can take many forms, including verbal, physical and psychological. If you have been a victim of harassment at work, it is critical to remember that there are laws to protect you.
Our skilled lawyers have been representing employees for more than 45 years. We are experienced in a wide range of harassment cases, such as:

• Disability harassment: Workers can experience discrimination and harassment for physical or mental conditions, such as cerebral palsy, vision impairment or learning disabilities. If you have been mocked or teased because of your disability, or if your employer has disciplined you for trying to work within your medical restrictions, it is important to give our attorneys a call today.
• National origin harassment: We have addressed cases of supervisors mistreating employees solely because of their ancestry. This can occur with virtually any ethnic group: Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans, Filipino-Americans and many others. You should never have to deal with cultural or ethnic harassment in the workplace – but when it happens, you need a lawyer who knows how to stand up for your rights.
• Racial harassment: Racial harassment can be overt with the use of racial slurs and aggressive behavior. It can also be much subtler with a condescending tone of voice, body language and demeanor. When racial jokes, offensive remarks or other forms of harassment exist in the workplace, we can work to stop them.
• Religious harassment: Some employees report that their employers were unwilling to accommodate important religious obligations and that they were forced to attend work on days of special religious significance. Our attorneys take aggressive action against employers that seek to inappropriately interject religious pressure into the workplace.
• Sexual harassment: No matter what form sexual harassment takes, it is an illegal practice that you should not have to deal with. Our law firm is on your side. We will conduct an intensive investigation of the circumstances surrounding the sexual harassment you were subjected to, whether it was physical, visual, written or verbal. We will also protect you against retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
• Sexual orientation harassment: You have the right to be yourself in the workplace. Whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is irrelevant. Call us if you have suffered any type of discrimination or harassment based on your sexual orientation. Our team is committed to protecting your rights.

If you have suffered harassment or discrimination, you may be entitled to back pay and benefits plus damages for emotional distress. Our team knows not only state and federal anti-harassment laws but also how to forcefully apply the law to your situation.

Workplace Discrimination

You should not have to put up with discrimination in your workplace. If you are being mistreated because of your membership in a protected class, it is important to contact an employment law attorney as soon as possible.
No matter what type of workplace problems you are facing, our firm is here to help. We provide strong representation in a wide range of discrimination cases, including:

• Age: Have you been targeted in a layoff, while younger workers kept their jobs? Employers think that a reduction in force gives them cover to fire anyone, but the reality is that older workers are often targeted during these layoffs. Age discrimination can also involve passing you up for a promotion or age-related harassment.
• Disability: Disability discrimination takes many forms. Contact our law firm if you have been terminated due to an injury, illness or disability or if your employer has denied accommodations, benefits or disability leave. Our lawyers and investigators will look into the specifics of your case, including medical records, personnel records, emails, photos and more.
• Gender: Both sexes can suffer gender discrimination, but it is more common with women. We often find that our female clients worked in jobs for many years with salaries that were not even remotely comparable with those of their male counterparts. If you have been denied raises or promotions because of your gender, our skilled lawyers are here to help.
• National origin: Have you faced inappropriate comments or a lack of employment opportunities because of your culture, ancestry or birthplace? Anti-discrimination law protects individuals employed in the United States who are legally authorized to work, regardless of citizenship or immigrant status.
• Pregnancy: You can’t be fired, terminated or laid off because you’re pregnant. In addition, you can’t be harassed by your employer because you’re pregnant. If your employer begins nitpicking your job performance or criticizing you for missing time from work due to pregnancy-related appointments, you can take action. Employers must provide a protected disability leave, reasonable accommodations for doctor visits and a protected time for bonding after your baby is born.
• Race: The fight to end racial discrimination continues every day. Too often, employers ignore the racial and ethnic biases some people in positions of authority hold. Because of their biases, these supervisors and employers treat employees differently, with members of one race or ethnicity given preference over others. We will fight vigorously for your rights if you have experienced any discrimination based on your race.
• Religion: Has your employer refused to provide a work schedule that enables you to observe your religious beliefs? Generally, an employer cannot discriminate against an employee based on his or her religious beliefs in the terms and conditions of employment. This includes the hiring process, promotions, hours and vacation time. Some employers refuse to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs – for example, scheduling that allows an employee to observe a particular religious holiday.
• Sexual orientation: Despite the progress our society is making, many people still face discrimination in the workplace because of their sexual orientation. Many of our LGBTQ clients report that they felt immediately disregarded only a few minutes into a job interview due to suspicions about their sexual orientation. Others report constant teasing at work, which can include vulgar references to their sex life or stereotypical, digging remarks about their lifestyle overall.

CLASS ACTIONS

When it comes to being fully paid and fairly treated as a worker in California, the law is clear, but some employers break the law. When that happens, employees can obtain legal advice and seek proper compensation through class action lawsuits.
A class action is a type of lawsuit in which a “class” of people – such as a group of individual workers who are employed by the same company – are represented together by an attorney or a team of attorneys. If you or one of your family members was denied his or her rights as an employee, get the legal advice you need.
At Law Offices of Gary R. Carlin, APC, our attorneys represent workers in class actions related to critical wage and hour issues like overtime pay and other payroll violations, as well as meal breaks and rest breaks. We have been fighting for the rights of employees since 1970, and we can fight for you if your case qualifies under the Private Attorney General Act, commonly known as PAGA. We can provide answers to questions like:

• How can I recover the overtime pay I am owed?
• Can my employer be held accountable for breaking the law?
• What’s the difference between arbitration and class actions?
• What if my co-workers received the same treatment as me?
• Can I bring a wage and hour case in federal or state court?

Every case is different. Talk to a lawyer about your legal matter.

Workers Compensation

At Law Offices of Gary R. Carlin, APC, we represent employees in workers’ compensation claims for a variety of physical and psychological injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, neck injuries and back problems. Since 1970, our law firm has helped clients from every industry, including nurses and construction workers. We have taken on corporations and entities of all sizes. We handle cases involving all types of accidents and repetitive movements.
Workers’ compensation and civil employment claims often overlap cases such as those involving termination for filing a workers’ comp claim. Employers are often reluctant to settle one claim if they know another is coming, so it can be to your advantage to present them together to your employer. Our skilled employment law attorneys often employ this strategy, which eliminates the element of the unknown for your employer, offers your claim some leverage and may increase the amount of its settlement offer.