Los Angeles Employment Law Blog

Workers in California and around the country are protected against discrimination and harassment by federal laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, but those who work as independent contractors or for temp agencies are not covered by such statutes. This is a serious issue because the American workplace is evolving and most of the people who work in what is known as the gig economy are considered independent contractors.

Nearly one-fifth of all American adults, including many in Los Angeles County, deal with mental health issues in a given year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 43.8 million Americans are diagnosed with mental illnesses. There are a number of conditions that people frequently confront, including depression, anxiety or PTSD. There are also a number of mood disorders and other concerns that may arise.

Disability discrimination is, unfortunately, prevalent in the modern workplace. Thankfully, there are laws that protect the rights of employees with disabilities, including the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, discriminatory practices and behaviors still persist despite these legal protections.  Why is discrimination against disabled workers still a common problem? Here are three reasons why disability discrimination occurs in so many workplaces. 

Job seekers in California and throughout the country may use Facebook to search for jobs. However, according to a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, ads are being hidden from women who are looking for work. The complaint claims that Facebook and nine other companies engaged in gender discrimination by doing so. According to Facebook, the company does not engage in discriminatory practices and says that it will defend its actions.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission holds employers in California and throughout the country responsible when federal laws protecting the civil rights of workers are violated. On Sept. 21, the agency filed a lawsuit against Walmart Inc. in federal court. The EEOC says that the nation’s largest private employer violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act by treating pregnant women more harshly than other workers.

Older women in California who have been discriminated against in the workplace due to their age may have legal recourse. However, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, just 3 percent of older workers in general who have seen or been a victim of workplace age discrimination have filed a complaint.

It’s been a little over 50 years since Congress passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which is supposed to protect employees in California and elsewhere from age-related discrimination in the workplace. However, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, many employers still show bias against older workers. As a result, the agency has started aggressively combating the issue.

One struggle people in California might encounter in the workplace is the issue of subtle discrimination or harassment. While it may be easy to identify overt speech and action, this can be much more difficult when the discrimination is harder to pinpoint.