It seems that every single day, we hear allegations of sexual harassment against a new celebrity or politician. Many have had their day of reckoning and the people of the #metoo movement have been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Unfortunately, whether this powerful movement will truly have an impact on everyday people remains to be seen. If you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, please read the following. You Have a Right to Work Free of Sexual Harassment First and foremost, California Labor Laws under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protect employees from sexual harassment. The California Government Code makes it an “unlawful employment practice” for “an employer, labor organization, employment agency, apprenticeship training program, or any training program leading to employment, to fail to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring.” What this means is that employers must take a sexual harassment complaint seriously, or they are…Read More
You know the difference between right and wrong. It is something inside of you and something you try to instill in your friend, family, and children. Sometimes it’s easy to do the right thing, like pointing that a cashier gave you too much change. But you also know that doing the right thing can be really hard—with very real consequences. An example of this is when you see your employer break the law, or when your employer asks you to break the law. This is a huge ethical dilemma as it challenges your sense of right and wrong, while also putting your job, livelihood, and reputation on the line. California Labor Code Section 1102.5 addresses California employers when it comes to protecting whistleblowers. A “whistleblower” is a person who has a reasonable belief that their employer is violating state or federal laws, or is asking them to violate the law, and reports it to the authorities.…Read More
