Gender Discrimination

Los Angeles Gender Discrimination Lawyers

Quality Legal Representation from Our Southern California Firm

Everyone has the right to work in a safe environment, but unfortunately, gender inequality runs deep throughout our country, including in the workplace. Pew Research Center reported that about four in ten working women in the United States (42%) have faced discrimination on the job because of their gender, whether it’s getting paid less than a man doing the same job or being looked over for important tasks. The Barkhordarian Law Firm has provided strong legal support for California employees and is able to help you file a claim if you think you were discriminated against because of your gender. Our Los Angeles gender discrimination lawyers are compassionate, knowledgeable, and prepared to protect your rights against employers or coworkers who have made your workplace a hostile place to be.

What Is Gender Discrimination?

When it comes to the workplace, gender discrimination refers to an employee or job applicant being treated differently—and often less favorably—because of their gender. In order for this type of discrimination to be considered illegal and for you to have a valid claim, it has to involve treatment that impacts the “terms or conditions” or your job, such as your work hours, salary, and job responsibilities, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Some examples of gender discrimination we’ve seen include:

• Being paid less than a person of a different gender who has similar job duties or is less qualified than you
• Being denied a raise, promotion, or opportunity that is given to people of another gender who are equally or less qualified than you
• Being given a lower-paying position or different job because of your gender
• Being held to different or higher standards because of your gender
• Being harassed because you don’t present yourself in a gender normative way
• Being insulted or called derogatory names or slurs because of your gender
• Being intentionally called by a name that you don’t identify with
• Receiving unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors (for more on this, see our sexual harassment page)
• Being rejected for a job, forced to go on leave, or given less assignments because of a pregnancy
• Being disciplined for something that employees of another gender do all the time but aren’t disciplined for

Women aren’t the only employees who are negatively affected by gender discrimination. Individuals of all genders and/or who are part of the LGBTQ community are often subjected to discrimination, too, such as transgender employees who are frequently and intentionally given the wrong pronouns by coworkers and supervisors.

What Are My Rights in California?

As an employee, you have protection from gender discrimination in the form of both federal and state laws. Some of the federal laws that forbid gender discrimination in the workplace include the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978.

In California, there are two main laws that protect employees against gender discrimination, including the California Fair Pay Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

FEHA specifically defines unlawful gender discrimination as:

• Refusal to train someone because of their gender or sex
• Refusal to hire someone of or representing a certain gender
• Termination of an employee because of their gender

According to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, 11% of all employment complaints in California are attributed to sex and gender discrimination. It’s important to know that gender and sex are two different things but are often used interchangeably in federal and state laws, and both types of discrimination are unlawful in California.

What Our Los Angeles Gender Discrimination Lawyers Can Do to Help

In addition to having the right to speak out against gender discrimination at your workplace by reporting the behavior to HR or your supervisor, or filing a grievance if you’re a union member, you also have the right to file a lawsuit. To learn more about your legal options, you can turn to our team of lawyers. At the Barkhordarian Law Firm, we have years of experience representing employees and can get you compensation for things like lost wages and emotional distress. Taking legal action may also get your employer to change their practices to ensure the workplace is safe for future employees.

We’re prepared to gather documents, file your claim, and protect you from your employer so you don’t have to fear being retaliated against for reporting your incident(s). Gender discrimination is unlawful and must be addressed when it happens in the workplace.