Anatomy Of An Employment Law Case
If this is the first time you have been treated unfairly in the workplace, you are probably unaware of the steps you need to take to assert your rights. Not knowing your workplace rights can be costly. Many employees do not receive the outcome they deserve because they were unaware of the steps they needed to follow. Others waste their time and emotions on cases that are not worth pursuing, but a good employment lawyer can tell you what your case is really worth, especially in the specific geographic region where you were employed whether it was Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, or Oakland. Our employment law attorneys are always keeping abreast of relevant developments in the labor market. On a regular basis, firm head, Karl Gerber examines the unemployment rates for each county in California, for each demographic of worker, and shares that information with the employment lawyers who work for him. Labor market conditions may influence an employee’s ability to find a job after being wrongfully terminated, and explain their past and future lost wages.
Call the Employment Lawyers Group to discuss your employment law case and learn your options. In Southern California, we have offices in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Gardena, Tustin, San Diego, and Oxnard. We handle cases in all parts of California.
Do You Have An Employment Case?
CALL (818) 783-7300 FOR A CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY Just because your employer treated you unfairly does not mean you have an employment law case. Not all unfair employer actions are illegal. Only an experienced labor attorney can advise you whether you should proceed with your case or move on with your life.
Filing A Complaint Against Your Employer
If you have a case, the next step is determining where to file your complaint. For example, an employment discrimination complaint in California could be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the California Civil Rights Division (CCRD). In many cases, the CCRD provides greater protection to employees. An unpaid wages claim can be filed with the California Department of Industrial Relations, but we do not recommend that. Make sure you pursue all remedies. You cannot always pursue all legal theories with an administrative agency. Merely filing charges with an administrative agency does not protect your statute of limitations. Our employee labor lawyers will correctly fill out all administrative paperwork required to accompany your Superior Court lawsuit. We will check the right boxes, articulate the right legal theories, and not leave holes your former employer can use as defenses against you.
Complaints must be filed in a timely manner. Different statutes of limitation apply in different situations. Determining which statute of limitations applies to your case is complex, is best left for consultation with an experienced employment attorney.
Obtaining A Right-to-Sue Letter
There are generally two ways to resolve an employment complaint:
- Obtain a right-to-sue letter from the agency and hire an attorney to handle your case in civil court.
- Proceed with the agency's administrative process. The agency will investigate your claim. If it finds a violation of the law, it will proceed to conciliation. If conciliation is not successful, the next step is litigation, which the CCRD and EEOC rarely do.
If you hire an attorney, you can usually obtain a right-to-sue letter in about one day to one month. If you proceed with the administrative process, your case may take several years just to reach a non-resolution in the administrative agency.
Learn more: Do I need an attorney to handle my employment law case?Contact Our California Employment Law Firm
To speak to a Los Angeles trained employment lawyer, call (818) 783-7300 toll free. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs. Se habla español.
Our Firm: No Upfront Fees or Costs
Contingency Fee Representation
All employment cases for employees are taken on a contingency basis. We are only paid a fee when and if we win your case, and we advance all litigation costs. Our goal is to make expert legal representation accessible to every hardworking employee.
Serving Los Angeles County
We have proudly served all of Los Angeles County since 1993.
The Employment Lawyers Group has successfully handled
Separate California Employment Cases
Media Engagements















Sample Case Results
breach of commission contract
$1,150,000
Unpaid commissions of two plaintiffs
unpaid wages
$875,000
For 4 oil field service industry workers whose times worked were not recorded on timesheets and were on-call
forced to work without pay standby pay case
$800,000
Controlled stand by class action settlement
Employment Case
$800,000
Failure to pay prevailing wage to maintenance technicians on state property
misclassified independent contractor employment lawyer
$800,000
For mis-classified independent contractors
care givers not paid wages
$775,000
For small class action of employees not allowed meal breaks or cell phone reimbursements while caring for dependent adults
peep hole sexual harassment at restaurant
$365,000
Sexual harassment of a delivery driver
Employment Case
$365,000
After defendant lost their appeal - pregnancy case - Jury Trial
pregnancy discrimination trial result
$365,000
Vasquez v. Del Rio Sanitarium Pregnancy Discrimination Case - Following Jury Trial & Appeal
hotel workers not paid for all time worked
$360,000
For missed meal and rest breaks, and overtime for 3 employees, and PAGA penalties for less than 25
prevailing wage lawyer
$350,000
For prevailing wage and paystub itemizations
unpaid wages
$350,000
For controlled standby and overtime for one employee
unpaid wages
$350,000
Due to fixed bonus pay not figured into overtime for a directional driller
fixed rate bonus not in overtime case result
$350,000
For directional driller whose fixed rate bonuses were not calculated into his overtime rate
Employment Case
$325,000
Sexual Harassment on a studio lot by manager
unpaid wages
$302,000
Controlled standby pay for two telecommunication workers in a hospital
unpaid rest break
$300,000
Verdict of punitive damages in wrongful termination case due to employee's refusal to work without rest breaks
Not paid to sleep case result
$300,000
Multiple Worker Claims for Unpaid Wages for Oil Gauge and Calibration Inspectors on Docked Coastal Vessels
Employment Case
$300,000
Post trial verdict for wrongful termination settlement and minor rest break violations
on call overtime case result
$275,000
Unpaid minimum wage, overtime double and double time due to on call work for two technicians at a radio/television station
retaliation for sexual harassment law firm
$270,000
Sexual harassment & employment termination
Employment Case
$250,000
Sexual harassment of union studio worker by supervisor
Employment Case
$250,000
Sexual harassment of older straight woman by straight older woman in hospital
arbitration case result disability discrimination
$246,000
Breach of fiduciary duty arbitration award involving disability discrimination
Employment Case
$150,000
Settlement for failure to reinstate after maternity leave
Employment Case
$150,000
Wrongful termination of C.N.A. in assisted living facility who blew whistle
Employment Case
$150,000
Sexual harassment followed by pregnancy discrimination in the parts department of a car dealership
Employment Case
$150,000
Sexual harassment of an eight-teen year old restaurant worker
Employment Case
$150,000
Cancer discrimination & termination of waitress Wrongful Termination of Site Manager
Employment Case
$150,000
Big box retail employee fired for reporting manager making him work off-the-clock, no meal breaks
Employment Case
$150,000
Wrongful termination of social worker reporting patient abuse
Employment Case
$145,000
Settlement for an office manager whose Northridge employer would not allow her to take leave from work due to pregnancy
Employment Case
$140,000
Not Accommodated and Fired for Mental Disability Leave
Disclaimer: These results are based on the facts of these specific cases and do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case.
Practice Areas
Discrimination
Age, Disability, FMLA/CFRA, Gender, National Origin, Pregnancy, Race, and Sexual Orientation discrimination claims.
Unpaid Wages & Overtime
Recovering earnings for overtime, bonuses, commissions, meal & rest break violations, and prevailing wage claims.
Sexual Harassment
Compassionate and effective representation for sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims.
Wrongful Termination
Representing employees terminated in violation of public policy, contracts, or California and federal law.
Leaves & Retaliation
Protecting employees who face adverse actions after reporting illegal activity or taking protected medical leave.
Whistleblowers
Advocating for employees who report fraud, waste, or abuse under California and federal whistleblower protection laws.
Our California Locations
Bakersfield
5401 Business Park S, #214,
Bakersfield CA 93309
Sacramento
777 Campus Commons Rd, #200,
Sacramento CA 95825
San Francisco / Bay Area
524 Union St, #400,
San Francisco CA 94133
San Jose / Silicon Valley
111 N. Market St, #300,
San Jose CA 95113
Torrance / South Bay
3655 Torrance Blvd, 3rd Floor,
Torrance CA 90503
Additional Sites
About Firm Founder, Karl Gerber
Firm Founder, Karl Gerber, has been an employment and wrongful termination attorney since 1993. He has represented a wide range of employees throughout California.
Mr. Gerber has won 51 of the binding arbitrations and jury trials he first chaired, and a number of his appeals are published. This deep trial experience is the foundation of the firm's strategic approach to litigation.
The employment attorneys employed by the Employment Lawyers Group have worked at the firm well in excess of five years, have also tried many different labor cases, and have all been extensively trained on employment and wrongful termination law by Karl Gerber.
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