Palo Alto Employment Lawyers Representing First Responders
A strong record of results when our emergency heroes endure discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
First responders in Palo Alto help protect us from harm when crime, accidents, natural disasters, and other events require immediate help. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we’ve been fighting for more than 30 years to protect first responders when their employers discriminate, make work uncomfortable, and punish responders for asserting their rights. We use the federal and California laws that were passed to protect employees from discrimination, racial and sexual harassment, and retaliation for first responders. Our Palo Alto employment lawyers have obtained more than $150 million for our clients. We’ll fight to restore your financial and emotional security.
Our record of results on behalf of employees includes many verdicts and settlements for one million dollars and higher, including employment claims involving:
- Discrimination based on national origin, race, disability, sex, and other factors
- Sexual and other types of harassment at work
- Retaliation for filing whistleblower claims, testifying in court, supporting coworkers, disclosing fraud, and other reasons.
Quick Questions
- When can I file an employment discrimination claim?
- What other types of employment claims can first responders file in Palo Alto?
- Which first responders do your Palo Alto employment attorneys represent?
- Do your Palo Alto employment lawyers file claims for volunteers?
- Which federal and California laws protect first responders?
- How do your Palo Alto employment attorneys fight for first responders?
- How much is my employment claim worth in California?
- Do you have a Palo Alto first responder lawyer near me?
When can I file an employment discrimination claim?
First responders have the right to file an employment discrimination claim if their workplace conditions are negatively/adversely affected, and the reason for the adverse conditions is based on the identity characteristics of the first responder instead of their qualifications. At McNicholas & McNicholas, we’ll review if you’re eligible to file an employment discrimination claim.
Adverse employment conditions apply when your employer:
- Doesn’t hire you even though you’re qualified
- Doesn’t promote you
- Doesn’t give you opportunities for training and advancement
- Changes your work assignments to less favorable assignments
- Doesn’t give disabled workers the reasonable accommodations they need to do their jobs
- Terminates your employment
- Reduces your pay
- Other adverse conditions
Employers cannot adversely affect your employment based on your membership in a “protected class.” Protected class generally refers to your identity characteristics or parts of your background. Each federal and state law has different definitions.
Generally, first responders are part of a protected class if your employer makes decisions about your employment based on your:
- Race, color, or national origin
- Sex, sexual preferences, or gender identification
- Disability
- Religion
- Age (being 40 or older)
- Pregnancy or childbirth
- Genetic information
- Military/veteran status
What other types of employment claims can first responders file in Palo Alto?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we file the following types of employment claims for all types of first responders:
- Discrimination
- Harassment, including racial and sexual harassment
- Retaliation includes retaliation for filing a discrimination claim, a whistleblower claim, a worker’s compensation claim, or for asserting any legal right
- Wrongful termination
- Wage and hour complaints
- Executive compensation disputes, including severance pay, salary, work benefits, retirement benefits, and stock options
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- Police officers and sheriff’s deputies
- Firefighters
- Narcotics Officers, SWAT members, corrections officers, and security officers
- Paramedics, EMTs, and medevac operators
- Park rangers
- School resource officers
- Court officers
- Dispatchers
- Certain public works employees
Contact McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP to determine if you qualify to file a discrimination claim in Palo Alto.
Do your Palo Alto employment lawyers file claims for volunteers?
Yes. Many first responders are kind enough to volunteer their time to help the Palo Alto community. While pay is not an issue, volunteer first responders do have the right to file claims if they suffer discrimination, harassment, or retaliation by their employer – if the volunteer is a member of a protected class.
Which federal and California laws protect first responders?
Our Palo Alto employment lawyers assert every applicable law that protects Palo Alto employees. We also file claims when employers violate employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.
Some of the employment laws we use on behalf of first responders include:
- California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The FEHA protects workers who are employed by governmental and private employers who have five or more employees. The FEHA also protects independent contractors.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This federal law protects employees who work for employers who have 15 or more employees. The law provides protection against discrimination, harassment, and workplace retaliation.
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The ADEA protects first responders who have disabilities.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws protect employees who have a disability.
- The Equal Pay Act. This federal law requires that men and women receive equal pay for equal work.
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. These federal laws protect women who are pregnant.
- The Trauma Treatment Act. This law helps employees who have mental health problems.
- The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. This federal law helps ensure that the members of our military are protected.
- The Federal False Claims Act and the California False Claims Act. These laws provide compensation to employees who disclose fraud and protect those employees from employer retaliation.
These laws protect first responders from:
- Harassment (racial, sexual, and other types of harassment). Sexual harassment involves conditioning employment success on sexual factors (called quid pro quo harassment) and offensive sexual conduct in the workplace (called hostile workplace harassment).
- Retaliation. Our Palo Alto employment lawyers file retaliation claims when employers punish or try to intimidate a first responder for asserting their legal rights.
How much is my employment claim worth in California?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, we work with financial professionals and psychologists, when necessary, to help show all of your damages.
We generally demand the following compensation, depending on the type of employment claim you have.
- Back pay losses and back benefits
Future pay compensation - Emotional distress, loss of reputation, and humiliation
- Court orders that require your employer to hire you, rehire you, promote you, or provide other necessary job conditions
- Attorney fees and court costs
- Statutory damages
- Wage and hour benefits
- Executive compensation
You may also be entitled to punitive damages.
Do you have a Palo Alto first responder lawyer near me?
McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP meets first responders at our Los Angeles office located in Westwood at 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400. We also discuss employment claims by phone and through online consultations.
We’re here to explain your rights and fight for all the compensation you deserve.
Speak with our respected Palo Alto employment lawyers now
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we understand what it’s like when your ability to pay your bills is in jeopardy, and your pride in doing great work for your community is damaged because your employer violates your rights. Our Palo Alto employment lawyers are ready to explain your rights and assert those rights. We anticipate the arguments and efforts employers use to contest your claim. We’ll fight to restore your career and your finances. To assert your employment rights, please call us or fill out our contact form today to schedule a consultation.