Disability Discrimination

people standing in the shape of the disability symbol

Your employer has just decided to demote you or lay you off. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that your mental or physical disability drove your employer’s decision, and you feel violated.

California law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who have physical or mental disabilities. Instead, they must provide you with reasonable accommodations unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If your employer has failed to do this, then an ADA discrimination lawyer at Pimentel Law can help you exercise your right to file a lawsuit against the company, alleging disability discrimination in the workplace.

Disability Discrimination in California

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against persons with medical conditions, mental disabilities, or physical disabilities. “Mental disabilities” include intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, or learning disabilities. “Physical disabilities” include conditions such as back, neck, or knee injuries, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, obesity, hypersensitivity to smoke, and high blood pressure. The FEHA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for your disability, including making existing facilities accessible to and usable by disabled persons, granting a leave of absence to recover from an injury, reassignment to a vacant position, restructuring job schedules and responsibilities, purchasing or modifying equipment or devices, and providing interpreters or readers.

If you experience disability discrimination in the workplace, you will want to hire an employment law attorney who is experienced in handling discrimination cases. There are various procedural technicalities you have to be aware of before pursuing a discrimination lawsuit, such as filing a complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing and obtaining a “Right-to-Sue Letter.” If these administrative steps are not done timely or correctly, it will bar you from bringing your discrimination suit.

If you prevail in your discrimination lawsuit, you may be entitled to money to compensate you for the emotional harm the discrimination caused you, back pay (plus interest), future lost pay, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Take Advantage of the Legal Expertise of Pimentel Law

When it comes to tackling disability discrimination in the workplace, along with other employment law issues, Pimentel Law has a strong track record.

We take pride in providing personalized attention and quality representation to each of our clients. The fact that we choose quality over quantity allows us to focus on you and provide you with exceptional results.

Contact us today to talk to a legal expert about your disability discrimination case and learn your rights in California.