What a Glendale Employment Lawyer Handles
Noble Attorneys represents employees, not employers. Michael Chakrian is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, a statewide network of attorneys who represent employees exclusively. The employment practice covers the four areas below.
- Wrongful termination. Firing based on a protected characteristic, in retaliation for protected activity, or in violation of public policy. Includes constructive discharge, where conditions were made intolerable so you would quit.
- Sexual harassment. Quid pro quo demands and hostile work environments under Government Code section 12940(j), which applies to employers of any size.
- Discrimination and retaliation. Adverse treatment based on race, national origin, age over 40, disability, pregnancy, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity under FEHA, and retaliation for complaining about it or for whistleblowing under Labor Code section 1102.5.
- Wage and hour violations. Unpaid overtime under Labor Code section 510, missed meal and rest breaks under section 226.7, misclassification as exempt or as an independent contractor, and unpaid final wages with waiting-time penalties under section 203.
The Laws That Protect Glendale Workers
- Fair Employment and Housing Act, Government Code 12900 and following. Covers employers with five or more employees for discrimination and retaliation, and employers of any size for harassment. Requires reasonable accommodation of disability and pregnancy.
- Labor Code 1102.5. Protects employees who report violations of law to a government agency, a supervisor or anyone with authority to investigate, whether or not the report turns out to be correct. Under Labor Code 1102.6, once you show the report was a contributing factor in the adverse action, the employer must prove by clear and convincing evidence that it would have acted the same way regardless.
- Labor Code 132a. Prohibits discrimination against an employee for filing a workers' compensation claim. Many of our Glendale clients come to the employment practice from a workers' compensation case for exactly this reason.
- California Family Rights Act, Government Code 12945.2. Job-protected leave for employees of employers with five or more workers, and protection from retaliation for taking it.
- Wage orders and the Labor Code. Daily overtime after eight hours, double time after twelve, a thirty-minute meal period before the end of the fifth hour, and a paid ten-minute rest break for every four hours worked or major fraction.
Deadlines That Decide Employment Cases
- FEHA claims. A complaint must be filed with the California Civil Rights Department within three years of the last discriminatory act. After the CRD issues a right-to-sue notice, you have one year to file in court.
- Whistleblower retaliation under Labor Code 1102.5. Three years under Code of Civil Procedure section 338.
- Wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.
- Wage claims. Three years for most Labor Code violations, extended to four years when brought under the Unfair Competition Law.
- Public employers. Glendale city employees and Glendale Unified staff face the Government Claims Act, with a six-month claim deadline for some claims. Call before the deadline, not after.
Glendale Employers and the Patterns We See
Glendale's economy is concentrated in a few sectors, and each produces its own pattern of claims. Corporate offices along Brand Boulevard and North Central Avenue generate age discrimination and layoff-related termination cases. The two hospitals and the surrounding medical offices produce disability accommodation, pregnancy leave and nurse meal-break claims. Entertainment and animation studios produce misclassification and overtime disputes for production staff. Retail and restaurant work around the Glendale Galleria and the Americana at Brand produces rest-break violations, tip issues, sexual harassment by supervisors and retaliation after wage complaints.
Many Glendale workers, including a large Armenian-speaking workforce, are employed by family-owned businesses, auto shops, jewelry and garment operations. Small-employer cases have their own dynamics: FEHA harassment protection applies regardless of size, wage laws apply from the first employee, and informal cash-pay arrangements do not remove your rights.
What Happens at the First Consultation
Bring your offer letter or contract, pay stubs, the termination notice if there was one, any written complaints you made, and any texts or emails that show what happened. We will identify which statutes apply, calculate the preliminary damages, and tell you honestly whether the case is one we would take. Consultations are confidential and free, and employment cases are handled on contingency.
Where Glendale Employment Cases Get Filed
Most employment lawsuits are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, with unlimited civil cases typically heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown. Wage claims can also be brought before the California Labor Commissioner, and federal discrimination claims are filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Our office at 655 N Central Ave is in Glendale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be fired for no reason in California?
California is an at-will state, so an employer can terminate without stating a reason. It cannot terminate for an illegal reason: your race, age, disability, pregnancy, complaints about harassment or pay, a workers' compensation claim, taking protected leave, or reporting illegal conduct. Most wrongful termination cases turn on proving the real reason.
My employer has only six employees. Do the laws still apply?
Yes. FEHA discrimination and retaliation protections apply at five or more employees, and harassment protection applies to every employer regardless of size. Wage and hour laws apply from the first employee.
How much does an employment lawyer cost?
Noble Attorneys handles employment cases on contingency. There is no up-front fee. Many California employment statutes also allow the court to order the employer to pay the employee's attorney fees.
Should I file with the Labor Commissioner or sue?
It depends on the claim. Straightforward unpaid-wage claims can move faster before the Labor Commissioner. Claims that combine wage violations with discrimination, harassment or retaliation are usually stronger in court, where all of them can be heard together. We make that recommendation at the first consultation.
Further Reading
- Wrongful Termination in Los Angeles: What Employees Need to Know
- Workplace Retaliation and California Whistleblower Protections
- California Meal and Rest Break Rules
- Unpaid Overtime and Wage Theft Recovery
Talk to a Employment Lawyer in Glendale Now
Free consultation. No fees unless we win. We meet clients at our Central Avenue office in Glendale and travel to homes and hospitals across Los Angeles County.