Recent Blog Posts

Transgender Employees And Bathroom Access At Work: The New Battleground
If you are a transgender employee, you are probably aware that the Supreme Court ruled that transgender employees get the same protections as gender in general gets; that is, the same protections that require that women be treated equally in the workplace also require that an employer not discriminate against you based on your… Read More »

Legal Considerations For Employees Who Work From Home
Life changed a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown. And while, thankfully, the worst of COVID seems to be behind us, the changes made during that time still remain with us today. One change is the switch, in many workplaces, to virtual, work-from-home arrangements. When people started returning to work, many employees… Read More »

Age Discrimination Laws Provide More Protection Than You Think
In addition to federal laws that protect older employees from discrimination in the workplace, California also has laws that provide a number of protections for older workers. But don’t let that word fool you—“older workers” actually encompasses a lot of people, who may be younger than you think. Think you’re too young to be… Read More »

What Is An “Undue Hardship” When It Comes To Reasonable Accommodations?
You may already know that if you have a disability, that your employer should make reasonable accommodations for you at work. We have written in the past about what kind of things are reasonable accommodations. But there is one other detail written into the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) that many employers try to… Read More »

Things You Didn’t Know About Sexual Harassment
When it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace, many people are quick to claim they have been victimized. On the other hand, there are those who may be victims of sexual harassment, that aren’t even aware they are being victimized. This is all because when it comes to harassment in the workplace, there… Read More »

Redemption Row Pro Bono work of the Costanzo Law Firm
While the California State Bar does not implement minimum “pro bono” requirements for California lawyers, Costanza Law Firm takes seriously the need to serve underserved and indigent litigants free of charge in order to right the wrongs that so frequently occur in our justice system against people who cannot afford a lawyer. As part… Read More »

Are English Only And No-Accent Policies At Work Allowed?
You probably know that if an employer were to discriminate against you on the basis of your race, ethnic background or nationality, that would be illegal, and that you would have a right to file a lawsuit against that employer. But what about language? Some employers discriminate on the basis of language. Yes, they… Read More »

Understanding California’s Whistleblowing Laws And Protections
When it comes to crimes, cheating, fraud, or wrongdoing in businesses, the fact is that our government simply does not have the manpower or the resources to police everyone, all the time. The US or California State government can’t sit inside your boss’ office and monitor what he or she is doing. Whistleblowers are… Read More »

No More Forced Arbitration In Sexual Harassment Cases
Victims of sexual harassment in the workplace can sue, and can receive serious and significant damages for their mental and emotional suffering, as well as lost wages and other damages that stem from the abuse. Employers know this, and for a long time, to try to combat these lawsuits, employers resorted to mandatory arbitration… Read More »

Is Working From Home A Reasonable Accommodation Under The ADA?
There are a number of illnesses, disabilities, or injuries, whether physical or mental, where an employee may be able to do the work required from home, but where the disability doesn’t make it possible for the employee to work in an office. Of course, we have adapted to work-from-home since COVID-19, but is your… Read More »