What is Employment Law?
For most people, work is a big part of life. It’s how you support your family, pay your bills, and plan for the future. So, when something feels off at your job, such as not being appropriately paid, being mistreated, or being unsure if your employer’s behavior is even legal, it can be confusing, stressful, and isolating.
At The Gould Firm, we believe no one should have to navigate these issues alone. Whether you’re dealing with unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, you have rights. And Evan Gould is here to help you understand those rights and to fight for them when necessary.
Many people are unaware that laws exist to protect workers. However, there are laws in California, and they are among the strongest in the country, covering everything from how and when you must be paid to your right to rest breaks, as well as protections against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.
So, What Is Employment Law?
Employment law is the area of law that governs the relationship between employers and employees. It comprises a wide range of federal, state, and local laws designed to protect workers from unfair treatment on the job.
At its core, employment law regulates how employers must treat their employees, from the minimum wage to workplace conditions to the procedures for handling disputes when things go wrong. These laws encompass a range of topics, including wages and working hours, workplace safety, discrimination, family leave, and wrongful termination.
Some examples of laws that protect you as a worker include:
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): This governs minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor rules.
- The California Labor Code: This offers some of the strongest worker protections in the country, including rest breaks and wage payment rules.
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): This provides certain employees with the right to take unpaid leave for family or medical reasons without fear of job loss.
These laws are powerful, but only if you know your rights and have someone willing to stand up for them. That’s where we come in. We don’t just know employment law and its intricacies, but we also take the time to explain it, walk you through your options, and fight fiercely for the fairness you deserve in the workplace.
Why Is Employment Law Important?
Employment law may sound technical or intimidating, but its impact is very real and very personal.
Every day, workers across California face situations that violate these laws, often without even being aware of it. Maybe you’re being told you’re “salaried” and don’t get overtime, but you’re working long hours and never see extra pay. Maybe your paychecks are late or inaccurate. Maybe you’ve been mistreated because of your gender, race, or pregnancy. Or perhaps you were fired right after speaking up about a problem.
These situations are not only frustrating, but they can turn your life upside down. Missed paychecks can lead to missed rent or mortgage payments. Discrimination or retaliation can leave you feeling powerless and humiliated. But the good news is that the law is on your side, and so are we. At The Gould Firm, we help people understand what’s legal and what’s not, and when necessary, we hold employers accountable.
Legal Definitions You Should Know
Knowing what terms like discrimination, harassment, and retaliation actually mean can make a big difference when something at work doesn’t feel right. Having a basic understanding of your rights can help you recognize when the law is being broken. And if you're unsure, that's precisely why we're here: to help you make sense of it and figure out what to do next.
Discrimination: Unfair treatment based on a protected characteristic. Discrimination can show up in hiring, firing, promotions, pay, job assignments, or training.
Harassment: Unwelcome conduct based on race, sex, religion, etc., that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment or result in an adverse employment decision (like being fired or demoted).
Retaliation: Any adverse job action, such as firing, demotion, or discipline, taken against an employee because they complained about discrimination, reported wage violations, or exercised a workplace right.
Examples of Illegal Employer Behavior
A significant part of what we do at The Gould Firm is educating our clients, as many of the most common violations occur quietly or subtly, and workers often don’t realize their rights are being violated.
Here are just a few examples of illegal behavior by employers:
Misclassification
Employers often misclassify employees as “independent contractors” or “exempt” employees when they shouldn’t. This is usually done to avoid paying overtime or providing benefits. If you’ve been told you’re exempt or a contractor but your job is tightly controlled, involves long hours, or you don’t set your own schedule, this may be illegal.
Wage Theft
This includes not paying all the wages you’ve earned, paying you late, or failing to pay overtime as required. It can also include illegal paycheck deductions, denial of rest or meal breaks, or failure to reimburse work expenses.
Denial of Breaks
In California, most employees are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break and a 10-minute paid rest break for every 4 hours worked. If your employer discourages or denies you these breaks, or penalizes you for taking them, that’s a violation of the law.
Discrimination
It is illegal for an employer to treat you differently based on protected characteristics such as:
- Race or ethnicity
- Gender or gender identity
- Pregnancy or parental status
- Age (if over 40)
- Religion
- Disability
- Sexual orientation
- National origin
If you’ve been passed over for promotions, harassed, or terminated based on any of these traits, you may have a discrimination claim.
Harassment
Harassment can take various forms, including verbal, physical, or visual. It includes unwanted jokes, slurs, offensive images, or repeated unwelcome conduct. It becomes illegal when it creates a hostile work environment or when enduring it becomes a condition of employment.
Retaliation
If you report illegal behavior at work, like wage violations or discrimination, and your employer demotes you, reduces your hours, or fires you in response, that’s retaliation, and it’s against the law.
What Should I Do If I Think My Rights Are Being Violated?
If you suspect something isn’t right at work, don’t wait. Even if you’re not sure whether what’s happening is illegal, it’s worth having a confidential conversation with our team to understand what your rights and options are.
At The Gould Firm, your consultation is free and completely confidential. We’ll help you understand what’s happening, your options, and the next steps you can take. Sometimes just knowing your rights can give you the confidence to stand up for yourself.
Here to Listen. Ready to Help.
Legal problems at work can leave you feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and even ashamed, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Whether you’ve just started to notice something feels wrong or you’ve already been fired or retaliated against, you still have rights. And you still have options.
Evan Gould has built his practice on standing up for everyday people who’ve been mistreated, underpaid, or silenced at work. At The Gould Firm, we take time to really listen, explain your rights in plain language, and walk you through every step with patience, honesty, and care.
If you’re not being paid fairly, being harassed, discriminated against, or punished for speaking up, it may be more than just unfair; it may be illegal. And if it is, we’ll help you fight back.
Contact us today or complete our online contact form to schedule your complimentary, confidential consultation.
Your time, your dignity, and your work all matter. Let’s make sure the law protects them. It starts with a conversation. We’re ready when you are.