California Executive Employment Lawyer

As a seasoned executive in California, you’ve poured years into leadership, making strategic decisions and driving corporate victories. So, it’s both surprising and deeply hurtful when you face discrimination or unfair dismissal at this juncture in your career.

Given your high-level position, your case demands specialized legal expertise. Our committed team of executive employment lawyers provides qualified legal guidance to champion your right to fairness and safeguard your rights, reputation, and future endeavors.

Your Employment Rights as an Executive

Senior executives in California, such as CEOs, COOs, CTOs, CFOs, and CMOs, frequently encounter workplace discrimination and other employment hurdles. Leading at these levels involves engaging with a range of staff, heightening the risk of facing discrimination or harassment from fellow executives, board members, or team members. However, there are laws in place to help protect your rights, including:

• California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This state-specific legislation protects against employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, and disability. Whether you’re a CMO or a CEO, FEHA recognizes and upholds your right to a discrimination-free workplace.
• California Labor Code. This code protects against wrongful termination in California. It ensures senior executives cannot be dismissed for unlawful reasons, such as reporting safety violations, refusing to commit illegal acts, or taking legally protected time off. It also protects against retaliation for filing or participating in an employment complaint with the Labor Commissioner.
• Whistleblower Protections. Several federal laws, like the Whistleblower Protection Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, protect against retaliation for reporting internal misconduct. This includes fraudulent activities, securities violations, government fraud, workplace safety concerns, or financial irregularities within their organizations.
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on protected characteristics. These include race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This applies to all employees, including senior management or executives.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The ADEA safeguards executives from discrimination based on age. Under this law, you can’t be fired due to how old or long you may have been at the company.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Executives with disabilities are entitled to equal employment opportunities. The ADA protects you from discrimination based on a disability like mobility impairments, visual impairments, or chronic medical conditions.

What Does Discrimination Look Like at the Executive Level?

As a high-ranking executive, you might face discrimination or unjust dismissal. Here are common employment law breaches that executives often come across:

• Gender or racial biases. Women or minority executives may face disparities in opportunities or compensation compared to their male counterparts. For instance, a female executive might be overlooked for a promotion despite having equal or superior qualifications and experience.
• Age discrimination. Seasoned executives may encounter age-related bias, such as being passed over for important projects or being unfairly targeted for layoffs based on stereotypes associated with their age.
• Microaggressions. Subtle comments or actions undermining an executive’s credibility or competence based on race, gender, or other characteristics can create a hostile work environment.
• Retaliation. Executives who report workplace discrimination or harassment may face retaliation, such as being marginalized or subjected to negative consequences for speaking out.
• Lack of development opportunities. Discrimination can manifest in the denial of career development opportunities, like training, mentorship, or high-profile projects, hindering an executive’s professional growth.
• Wrongful termination. Discrimination can culminate in wrongful termination, where executives are unfairly dismissed based on gender, age, race, or other protected characteristics.

Your Legal Options After Experiencing Workplace Discrimination or Wrongful Termination

As an executive-level employee in California, legal avenues are available if you’ve faced workplace discrimination or wrongful termination. These include filing a complaint with various state employment law agencies and engaging in a civil lawsuit against your employer.

• Labor complaint. If your rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office through the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). They enforce labor laws in the state and can investigate high-level disputes, potentially awarding you back pay, reinstatement in a similar position, or penalties against the company. If you believe you’ve been discriminated against due to protected characteristics, you can file a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).
• File a civil lawsuit. In a civil claim, you can seek lost wages and compensation for lost opportunities, emotional distress, or punitive damages, depending on the circumstances. As an executive, ensuring your financial compensation encompasses salary, stock options, and severance pay is vital. Our executive employment attorneys specialize in high-level employment matters and can guide you to a satisfactory outcome.

What Our Executive Employment Lawyers Can Do For You

At Manukyan Law Firm, our attorneys ensure the rights and reputations of high-level executives are protected in California. When you partner with one of our employment lawyers for executives, we’ll take these steps to assist you in securing the compensation you deserve:

• Navigate employment protection laws. We possess in-depth knowledge of both California and federal employment laws. We’ll explain how these laws apply in your case, help you file a complaint with the Labor Commission, and represent you in any civil legal proceedings.
• Customized legal strategies. We understand that each executive’s situation is unique. Our Glendale executive and senior management employment lawyers tailor strategies to your needs, whether you’re facing gender bias, age discrimination, unequal pay, or other workplace injustice.
• Gathering evidence. An executive employment lawyer will collect and preserve evidence for your case, including documents, emails, witness testimonies, and other relevant information. This proof can help substantiate the discrimination, wrongful termination, or workplace misconduct you suffered, strengthening your position during negotiations or litigation.
• Dispute resolution. Our lawyers are experienced in alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation and arbitration, to swiftly resolve conflicts without the need for protracted litigation.
• Litigation expertise. If necessary, we’ll represent your interests in court, pursuing justice and compensation for discrimination, wrongful termination, or other workplace violations. This can help you receive a settlement for lost earnings, emotional distress, or harm to your professional reputation.
• Reputation and career preservation. We aim to secure your rights and protect your professional reputation and future career prospects. We use strategic legal approaches that minimize the impact on your public image while advocating for your interests.

Protect Your Rights After Employment Discrimination

Discrimination or wrongful termination should never compromise your well-deserved compensation or professional standing. At Manukyan Law Firm, our executive employment lawyers in Glendale, CA, can help you receive fair compensation and safeguard your rights as a senior manager in California.

Contact us today for a confidential consultation where you can discuss your case and get legal guidance on your next steps.