Pasadena Employment Law Attorneys

California claims go to the Civil Rights Department, which accepts intake online and through its Los Angeles regional office at 320 West 4th Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal claims under Title VII, the ADA, or the ADEA go to the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office at the Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. You generally have three years from the unlawful act to file with the CRD under Gov Code § 12960 and 300 days to file with the EEOC. If you want to sue, you first request a right-to-sue notice from the CRD and then file in LA County Superior Court's Pasadena Courthouse at 300 East Walnut Street.

Likely yes. The False Claims Act at 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h) prohibits retaliation against employees, contractors, and agents for lawful acts in furtherance of an FCA claim or in efforts to stop a false-claim violation. NASA and federal contractor employees also have parallel protection under the federal contractor whistleblower statute at 41 U.S.C. § 4712, which is enforced through the agency Inspector General. California Labor Code § 1102.5 provides state-law retaliation protection for reporting a reasonable belief of a legal violation to a supervisor, government agency, or law enforcement, with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation under § 1102.5(f). Damages can include reinstatement, back pay, front pay, and emotional distress.

Title IX at 20 U.S.C. § 1681 prohibits retaliation against people who report sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual assault to a federally funded educational institution. The Supreme Court recognized a private right of action in Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education. California's FEHA at Gov Code § 12940(h) and Labor Code § 1102.5 provide parallel state protection. Postdoc appointments that are not renewed shortly after a protected complaint can support a retaliation claim where the timing, the decision-maker's involvement in the complaint, and shifting reasons for nonrenewal connect the two. Damages can include lost wages, emotional distress, front pay, and attorneys' fees.

California Labor Code § 512 requires a 30-minute uninterrupted, duty-free meal period before the end of the fifth hour of work and a second meal period for shifts over ten hours. Labor Code § 226.7 entitles you to a premium of one hour of pay at your regular rate for each workday a compliant meal or rest period is denied. Hospital meal-period waivers exist under IWC Wage Order 5 but are narrow and must be voluntary, revocable, and properly documented. If your unit's culture or staffing makes uninterrupted breaks impossible, the missed-break premiums plus penalties under Labor Code § 226 for inaccurate wage statements and PAGA penalties under § 2698 can add up substantially across a pay-period history.

Possibly. California's professional, executive, and administrative exemptions require both a salary at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time work and that you spend more than half your time on exempt duties involving independent judgment and discretion. Many 'creative associates,' 'designers,' and 'producers' who spend most of their hours on production work, client coordination, or following supervisor direction are misclassified. Misclassified workers can recover unpaid overtime under Labor Code § 1194, meal-and-rest premiums under § 226.7, wage statement penalties under § 226, and unreimbursed business expenses under § 2802 for phone, internet, and home-office use.

No, in most cases. Business and Professions Code § 16600 voids any contract that restrains a person from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business, with limited exceptions for sale-of-business and partnership dissolution contexts. AB 1076 and SB 699 (effective 2024) clarified that California voids non-competes regardless of where signed or where the employee worked when the contract was made, required employers to notify employees by February 14, 2024 that any existing non-compete is void, and created statutory remedies for affected employees including attorneys' fees. Trade-secret and confidentiality obligations still apply, but customer non-solicit and broad non-compete restrictions are generally unenforceable.

If your employer has five or more employees, the California Family Rights Act (Gov Code § 12945.2) gives you up to twelve weeks of job-protected leave to care for a parent with a serious health condition, in a rolling 12-month period. CFRA expanded covered family members to include grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and designated 'persons' under recent amendments. Federal FMLA at 29 U.S.C. § 2601 runs in parallel for employers of 50 or more. Paid sick leave under Labor Code § 246 provides additional protected time off (minimum five days or 40 hours per year statewide). Demotions, schedule changes, or PIPs tied to your leave can support a CFRA interference or retaliation claim under § 12945.2(k).

No. Pasadena has its own local minimum wage ordinance, which has historically been set above the California state minimum and is adjusted annually. The city's wage ordinance and paid sick leave requirements apply to most employees who perform at least two hours of work per week within Pasadena city limits, regardless of where the employer is based. If your employer pays below the Pasadena local minimum, fails to provide the local paid sick leave, or retaliates against you for asserting these rights, you can file a complaint with the City of Pasadena and pursue civil claims under the local ordinance and Labor Code § 1194. Liquidated damages under Labor Code § 1194.2 may also be available.