Concord Employment Lawyer

When employment disputes arise, it can feel like your life is spiraling out of control. If you were fired, denied time off work for medical reasons, harassed or discriminated against, you may have grounds to take legal action against your employer.

At Erlich Law Firm, our Concord employment lawyers are dedicated to advocating for workers in all types of employment disputes. We understand that dealing with a work-related issue is incredibly stressful, so our legal team makes every effort to ensure the process is as easy on you as possible.

Types of Concord Employment Cases

Concord employment lawyer Jason Erlich has vast experience handling a wide range of employment law matters. Unlike many other firms, Erlich Law Firm only represents workers, meaning our loyalty is always with you. We take all types of employment issues, including the following:

• Discrimination: Employment discrimination involves an employer treating employees differently based on race, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected characteristics. Employers rarely own up to discrimination allegations and often take steps to cover up their discriminatory motives. An experienced Concord employment lawyer can help you prove that your employer engaged in unlawful discrimination against you.
• Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment in the workplace refers to any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Quid pro quo harassment occurs when job benefits are made conditional on the worker’s submission to sexual advances. For example, a manager says that you will only get a promotion if you go on a date with him. A hostile work environment occurs when pervasive sexual comments, jokes or behaviors interfere with an employee’s work performance.
• Wage and Hour Disputes: Any employment agreement contains two essential parts. You agree to show up to work and do your job; your employer pays you the wages agreed upon when you are hired. However, employers sometimes try to save money by cutting labor costs and shorting workers on their paychecks. If this describes your situation, you can bring a Concord wage and hour lawsuit against your employer to recover the pay you are owed.
• Family and Medical Leave Violations: Under state and federal law, most employees qualify to take unpaid leave to care for a newborn or attend to specific family emergencies. However, employers occasionally deny a worker’s reasonable request in violation of the law. If you have been denied leave under the California Family Rights Act or the Family and Medical Leave Act, Erlich Law Firm can help.
• Wrongful Termination: Although California is an “at-will” employment state, that does not mean an employer can fire you for unlawful reasons. If an employer’s decision to terminate you was based on discrimination, retaliation or other illegal circumstances, you can pursue a Concord wrongful termination claim against your employer.
• Class Action Lawsuits: Some lawsuits may not make financial or practical sense for employees to bring on their own. For example, if your employer miscalculated your overtime pay, the trouble and cost of bringing a case may not be justified based on the relatively little amount of money you could recover. In these cases, employees can band together to form a class to sue their employer for the same or similar types of employment violations.

Top Industries and Employment Landscape in Concord

Concord is Contra Costa County’s largest city in terms of population. With a BART station and access to major freeways, it is well-connected to other parts of the Bay Area. The I-680 and the Benicia-Martinez Bridge allow employees to travel from surrounding areas. Concord has around 53,166 workers, including those who commute to the city.

Out of the 5,235 businesses in Concord, nearly 66 percent have one to four employees. Only four companies employ more than a thousand workers. Concord is home to several big employers like John Muir Health and Systron Donner Inertial, a premier aerospace and defense contractor. Top industries in Concord include:

• Healthcare and Social Services
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 
• Banking, Finance and Insurance
• Retail
• Construction

In addition to John Muir Health, Concord is home to other major employers in the healthcare sector. Concord Medical Center is a leading facility for cancer care and cardiac care, while Fresenius provides services and products to patients who undergo dialysis treatment. The city also has numerous life science startups and medical device manufacturers. Cerus, headquartered in Concord, develops and supplies blood-related technologies and components to medical facilities. Akesis is a radiation medicine healthcare supplier.

More than 4,000 workers, or about 7.5 percent of Concord’s workforce, are in health-related occupations. Around 7,480 employees, or just over 14 percent, are executives, managers and administrators. Banking, finance and insurance is another leading industry in Concord with employers like Wells Fargo, Pacific Service Credit Union, Athens Administrators and Assetmark, a wealth management technology platform.

Concord has a thriving professional, scientific and technical services sector with employers including Kyocera, Entisys360, Eichleay and Cobham Satcom. Many Concord employees also work in the construction industry for companies such as Conco and Harris & Associates, which provides civil engineering and construction management, among other services.

Concord’s vibrant downtown centers around Todos Santos Plaza, with a retail scene that includes mom-and-pop stores, malls and big-box retailers. BevMo!, a specialty beverage chain, is headquartered in the city.

Employment Issues in Concord Workplaces

Let us look at some examples of how different types of workplace disputes may arise across the leading industries in Concord. When you are unable to resolve an employment issue with an employer, an experienced Concord employment lawyer can advise you on your legal rights and options.

Healthcare

• Age discrimination: Healthcare settings like hospitals and medical technology companies can give rise to age discrimination. Senior nurses, technicians or administrative staff may be systematically overlooked for promotions or forced into early retirement. They may be replaced by younger employees with less experience under the premise of cutting costs or implementing “modern” practices.
• Wrongful termination: A whistleblower in a medical equipment company may be terminated after raising concerns about safety protocols. They may be fired in retaliation for reporting improper practices in handling sensitive medical devices, especially if management tries to protect the company’s reputation over compliance.
• Sexual harassment: Nurses or other medical staff can face harassment from supervisors, doctors, or colleagues. Due to the hierarchical nature of hospital work, they may fear retaliation for reporting misconduct.
• Unpaid wages: Technicians or support staff may be required to work overtime during busy shifts or emergencies. However, they could face issues with being properly paid for their additional hours, particularly in lower-wage roles.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 

• Age discrimination: Tech companies tend to favor younger employees who are often stereotypically considered more valuable and savvy in a fast-paced tech environment. Older workers may be passed over for promotions or laid off during downsizing despite their years of experience. Discriminating against workers aged 40 and over is unlawful.
• Sexual harassment: Female employees in tech companies may experience sexual harassment or gender discrimination, such as inappropriate comments, offensive jokes, sexual advances or exclusion from important meetings. They may struggle with a work culture that fosters a bro work environment, especially in male-dominated fields like aerospace or IT services.
• Retaliation: A software developer who reports cybersecurity vulnerabilities could face retaliation. Instead of investigating the complaint, the employer may unlawfully respond by giving the worker poor performance reviews or even terminating them to prevent the issue from reaching the client or the public.

Banking, Finance and Insurance

• Retaliation: Employees who report unethical financial practices, such as fraud, insider trading or violations of privacy regulations, could face retaliation in the form of demotions or terminations. For example, a financial advisor may be fired after voicing concerns over the mishandling of client portfolios.
• Gender discrimination: A female financial advisor may experience discriminatory treatment, such as being given smaller accounts or paid significantly less compared to male colleagues. If she reports this to Human Resources, she could face retaliation, such as having her commission structure altered or being assigned undesirable shifts.
• Unpaid wages: Sales representatives may experience unpaid commission disputes if their performance-based compensation structures are unclear or manipulated by management to avoid payouts.

Retail

• Racial discrimination: Job applicants of certain races may experience discriminatory hiring practices. An example of racial discrimination would be an Asian shop assistant being overlooked for a supervisory role in favor of a less qualified white worker. 
• Unpaid wages: Retail workers may experience wage theft if asked to work off the clock for tasks like opening or closing the store, stocking shelves or setting up displays without being paid for their time.
• Wrongful termination: A retail employee who reports unpaid wages or workplace sexual harassment to a manager may be fired shortly afterward. The termination may be under the pretext of poor performance or bad attitude when, in reality, the worker was fired in retaliation for filing the complaint.

Construction

• Disability discrimination: Employees recovering from injuries may request reasonable accommodations, like modified duties or adaptive equipment, but employers might deny these requests. For instance, it is unlawful for an employer to fire a worker who asks for lighter duties per doctor’s instructions while recovering from surgery.
• Retaliation: If a construction worker reports unsafe scaffolding conditions or raises concerns about inadequate personal protective equipment to a project manager, they may find themselves reassigned or facing other disciplinary actions. The employer may refuse to take the issue seriously. This retaliation is not only unlawful but also creates a chilling effect, discouraging others from reporting dangerous issues at a job site.
• Wage theft: Construction companies may fail to pay workers for overtime hours, misclassifying them as independent contractors to avoid overtime pay obligations. For instance, laborers working long hours on a site may receive a flat daily rate, with no additional compensation for extra hours worked.

Do You Need a Concord Employment Lawyer?

If you disagree with how your employer handled a situation related to your employment, the first step is always to let them know. Not only does this allow your employer a chance to resolve your workplace dispute, but reporting the employment issue is also a prerequisite to filing an employment lawsuit in most cases.

When you discuss the matter with your supervisor or the Human Resources department, save all communication. Emails, voicemails, texts and documents generated during the internal complaint process can often be used as critical evidence in an employment lawsuit.

If your employer fails to address your concern to your satisfaction or ignores it entirely, you are not without options. Your first step should be to reach out to an experienced Concord employment law attorney to discuss your situation. A lawyer will listen to the facts and provide you with an honest assessment of your case. From there, you and your attorney can discuss what makes the most sense for you.

Contact the Concord Employment Lawyers at Erlich Law Firm for Immediate Assistance

If you are suffering a hostile work environment, dealing with the effects of employment discrimination or were otherwise unlawfully treated by your employer, Erlich Law Firm can help. Concord employment lawyer Jason Erlich has extensive experience handling all kinds of workplace issues. He takes a holistic approach to every case, aiming to achieve the best possible outcome for clients.

To learn more and schedule a free consultation, call 510-390-9140 today. You can also reach us through our online contact form.