Riverside Employment Discrimination Lawyers

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$2 Billion
in Personal Injury Results

$150 Million
in Employment Law Results
for First Responders

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mobile-responder-hero

Accomplished employment advocacy for California police officers, firefighters, and first responders for 30 years

Riverside, in Riverside County, has more than 300,000 residents who need the help of law enforcement, firefighters, and people who come to their aid during emergencies. These emergency workers deserve more than just our thanks. They deserve to know their employers will respect the work they do and treat them fairly.

At McNicholas & McNicholas, our employment lawyers represent emergency workers when employers discriminate or harass them. We file civil rights claims, retaliation claims, wrongful termination claims, and other employment lawsuits. Our Riverside employment lawyers fight to ensure workers are paid what they have earned.  During our 30 years of practice, we have helped employees obtain more than $150 million in recoveries.

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Our record of successful employment actions includes the following:

  • Discrimination. We have obtained numerous substantial recoveries for discrimination based on race, national origin, disability, gender, and other protected classes. A few examples include:
    • $13.1 million for two male police officers in a sex discrimination and retaliation case.
    • $5.3 million for the first African-American member of a bomb squad.
    • $2.3 million for a woman officer who was not hired for a position on an elite police squad.
  • Retaliation. Our successful retaliation cases include recoveries for officers who refused to enforce ticket quotas, testified in court, supported the complaints of colleagues, and blew the whistle on police misconduct. Our results include:
    • $11.6 million for a bomb squad officer who endured retaliation for reporting misconduct.
    • $10.1 million on behalf of a woman who endured retaliation (including being shunned, transferred out of the Detective Bureau, and moved to a less prestigious job) as punishment for her husband’s discrimination complaint.
  • Failing to pay separation pay. Our lawyers recovered $32 million for our client in a separation case.

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What kinds of workers do your Riverside employment lawyers represent?

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP is proud to represent:

  • Police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and law enforcement officers protect us from crimes, help us when vehicle accidents occur, and provide community support in many other ways.
  • Firefighters, who protect us from fires and smoke at private residences, commercial properties, and natural disasters such as wildfires.
  • First responders (including EMTs, paramedics, park rangers, and corrections officers), who provide essential support and services when residents need help the most.

What types of employment cases do your Riverside employment lawyers handle?

In addition to civil rights claims (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation), McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, represents emergency responders in the following types of employment claims:

  • Wage and hour claims. We hold employers to their duty to pay you the compensation you earned based on federal, state, and Riverside laws, your employment contract, and the terms of any collective bargaining agreements.
  • Executive compensation claims. We hold employers to their obligation to provide work and retirement benefits, stock options, bonuses, and severance packages in accordance with your employment contract and company policies.
  • Qui tam/whistleblower claims. Our Riverside employment lawyers help employees disclose governmental fraud – and obtain a percentage of any recovery authorized by federal and California law.
  • Whistleblower retaliation claims. Our lawyers file claims when police departments, fire departments, and other employers intimidate or punish whistleblowers.
  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) violations. Many emergency employees have the right to take leave for family health issues and the joy of newborns and adoptees. We file retaliation claims when employers retaliate because an employee asserted their legal rights under the Federal Family and Medical Leave, California’s Family and Medical Leave Act, or California’s California Family Rights Act.
  • Workers’ compensation retaliation. Police officers, firefighters, and first responders risk their lives every day. We file retaliation claims when your employer punishes you for asserting your right to temporary or permanent disability for any wounds, injuries, or illnesses you have due to doing your job.
  • Wrongful termination. Police, fire departments, and the employers of other first responders must comply with the federal and California discrimination laws, any retaliation laws, and individual and collective bargaining contracts. We hold them accountable when they fire you improperly.

What do the terms employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation mean?

At McNicholas & McNicholas, our employment lawyers file claims when employers violate the federal and California discrimination, harassment, and retaliation laws.

Discrimination

Discrimination generally involves the following two requirements:

  • An adverse employment action. Your employer must negatively affect the terms, conditions, or privileges of your work in some way. Examples include:
    • Not hiring you when you are clearly qualified
    • Not paying you what you have earned or not providing leave and the benefits (including retirement benefits) you have earned
    • Not giving you opportunities for advancement or training comparable to other employees
    • Transferring your to a less favorable job or location
    • Failing to provide reasonable accommodations if you have a disability or if you are pregnant
    • Failing to grant a deserved promotion or selection
    • Suspending your employment or placing you on administrative leave (paid or unpaid)
    • Terminating your employment
  • Your membership in a protected class led to the adverse condition. California and federal laws protect employees from adverse consequences based on their
    • Race, skin color, or national origin
    • Gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation
    • Age (40 or older)
    • Religion
    • Having a disability, or having a history of being disabled
    • Pregnancy
    • Military or veteran status
    • Genetic information
    • Weight

We can explain if you are a member of a protected class and which law(s) protect you.

Harassment

Title VII of the US Civil Rights Act defines harassment as offensive conduct where:

  • “Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment” (quid pro quo harassment). One form of harassment, sexual harassment, involves conditioning your employment on sexual favors.
  • “The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.” For example, racial harassment involves being present where there are derogatory racial discussions, jokes, and images. Sexual harassment involves similar uncomfortable conduct involving sexual matters.

Harassment based on a protected class is a form of discrimination.

You can file a harassment claim even if the offensive conduct is not targeted toward you.

Retaliation

At McNicholas & McNicholas, our employment lawyers file retaliation claims when Riverside employers threaten, intimidate, or punish you for asserting your legal rights. These legal rights include:

  • Filing a discrimination, harassment, or retaliation lawsuit – our just complaining about these employee wrongs
  • Supporting a colleague’s claim
  • Testifying in court
  • Filing a workers’ compensation claim, a whistleblower complaint, or requesting family and medical leave
  • Asserting any other legal right

We can explain when a retaliation claim requires that you belong to a protected class and when anyone who suffers adverse employment conditions can file a claim.

What laws govern employment discrimination in Riverside?

Our Riverside discrimination lawyers use every law and regulation that protects police officers, firefighters, and first responders, including:

Other federal laws that protect employees include The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Generally, federal laws apply to employers with 15 or more employees, while California’s CFEHA applies to five or more employers. The CFEHA also provides some protections for independent contractors.

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Where do you file my Riverside employment claim?

Discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claims based on a violation of your civil rights (your membership in a protected class) usually start with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the California Civil Rights Department.

We file complaints in the state and federal courts in Riverside County when the EEOC of the California Civil Rights Department cannot resolve your complaint. In some cases, we directly file your claim with the courts instead of going through an agency – such as when your complaint does not depend on your membership in a protected class.

How much is my Riverside employment claim worth?

At McNicholas & McNicholas LLP, our employment lawyers work to make you whole again. That means we demand that your employer place you in the same financial situation as if the discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or other wrongful employment act had not occurred.

Specifically, we may demand the Riverside Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff, the Riverside Fire Department, and other emergency responder employers take the following steps in response to their wrongful actions:

  • Offer past earnings loss (back pay) and future earnings loss (front pay)
  • Compensate for the loss of health, retirement, seniority, and other benefits
  • Pay damages for the emotional distress and harm to your reputation and career
  • Provide injunctive relief to mandate that your employers hire, promote, or rehire you – and provide the benefits and job opportunities you deserve
  • Cover your attorney fees and court costs
  • Pay any statutory damages
  • Offer reasonable accommodations if you have a disability

Do you have a Riverside employment discrimination lawyer near me?

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP meets with police officers, firefighters, and first responders at our Los Angeles office located in Westwood at 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400. Phone and online consultations are also options.

At McNicholas & McNicholas, we:

  • Review your claim with you
  • Work to obtain the evidence to support your claim, which often includes obtaining documents and evidence from your employer
  • Assert the laws and contracts that apply to your claim
  • File your claim with the correct agency or court
  • Negotiate settlements
  • Prepare your claim and prepare you for a hearing or trial
  • Argue your case before agencies and before judges and juries

We understand how much you want to serve Riverside and provide for yourself and your family. We can explain your rights and fight for all the compensation you deserve.

Speak with a dedicated Riverside employment lawyer now

Police officers, firefighters, and first responders protect Riverside. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we work to protect them. We have the experience, skills, and record of success to hold public and private employers to their duty to treat their employees fairly and decently. Our Riverside employment lawyers are ready to protect employees from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and the failure to pay you what you deserve. Call our office or fill out our contact form today to schedule a consultation.

List of Agencies We are Suing or Have Sued

California-Map with Stars
  • LAPD
  • LA Co Sheriff
  • Berkeley PD
  • Riverside PD
  • Huntington Beach PD
  • Redondo Beach PD
  • Ukiah PD
  • Willits PD
  • City of Richmond (Non LEO/Employment)
  • Palo Alto PD
  • Santa Barbara County Sheriff
  • Chula Vista PD
  • San Joaquin County Sheriff
  • Fremont PD
  • Walnut Creek PD
  • Shasta County Sheriff
  • Contra Costa Sheriff (Non LEO/Employment)
  • El Segundo PD
  • San Diego PD
  • El Monte PD
  • Pomona PD
  • LAWA
  • Culver City PD (Non LEO)
  • Berkeley Fire/CoB (Non LEO)
  • LAFD