Author Archives: Jay Butchko
How California’s Equal Pay Act Goes Further Than the Federal Law for San Jose Workers
Most people assume that if the federal government already passed a law banning unequal pay, state law just repeats it. Is that actually true in California? A closer look at the two statutes shows they diverge in some important ways, and the gap matters for how a worker in Santa Clara County or anywhere… Read More »
What to Expect When You File a Sexual Harassment Complaint in California
Deciding to file a sexual harassment complaint is not a simple decision. Anyone who has lived through a hostile work environment knows that the hardest part is often not identifying what happened, but figuring out what comes next. What agency handles the complaint? How long does the process take? Will an employer find out… Read More »
How to Preserve Evidence of Workplace Sexual Harassment in San Jose
Most people think of evidence as something you collect. In a workplace sexual harassment situation, it may be more useful to think of evidence as something that expires. A message thread, a security video, a coworker’s memory of an afternoon meeting: each one has its own shelf life, and some disappear long before anyone… Read More »
California’s Workplace Violence Prevention Law and What It Means for Employees
Do you know what your employer is required to do to protect you from violence on the job? As of July 1, 2024, most California employers must follow a new law designed to reduce the risk of violence in the workplace. If you work in California, understanding this law can help you recognize whether… Read More »
Religious Accommodation Requests at Work: Your Rights Under California Law
Have you ever felt caught between your faith and your job? Maybe you need a specific day off for a holy observance, or you wear religious clothing that a supervisor has questioned. Many California workers face these situations without knowing what protections exist. Understanding your rights can make these conversations with an employer far… Read More »
Pregnancy Discrimination at Work in California: What Employees Need to Know
Finding out you are pregnant should be exciting news, not a source of workplace anxiety. Yet many California employees quietly wonder how their employer will react once they share the news. Will their hours get cut? Will they be passed over for a promotion? Will they still have a job waiting for them after… Read More »
Are You Being Shortchanged on Your Meal and Rest Breaks?
If you clock eight hours a day at a job in San Jose, do you know exactly when you’re supposed to get a break, and what happens if you don’t? Many California workers assume that a missed lunch or a skipped ten minute breather is just part of a busy day. In reality, California… Read More »
When Does Workplace Bullying Cross the Line Into Illegal Conduct in California?
Have you ever wondered whether the tension you feel walking into a meeting each day is simply an unpleasant work culture, or something the law actually addresses? Many employees endure belittling comments, exclusion from projects, or a supervisor who seems to single them out, without ever asking whether that treatment could be unlawful. Our… Read More »
Constructive Termination: Did You Quit or Were You Fired?
Most California employers know that they cannot fire you on the basis of race or religion or pregnancy or age, nor can they fire you in order to “get back at you” (retaliate against you) for doing something that you had a right to do. So, many employers who want to get rid of… Read More »
Getting Emotional Damages in Discrimination and Harassment Cases
When something bad happens to you at work–say, you are fired, or demoted, or deprived of benefits, or not selected to work on a great project–and you sense that this is because of illegal harassment or discrimination, there can be two types of damages that a worker can recover. One type of damage is… Read More »
