Employment Law

California’s Workplace Discrimination Laws: California Is First State to Adopt Intersectionality of Protected Characteristics

Employment Law / March 18, 2025

California has taken a groundbreaking step in workplace protections by becoming the first state to explicitly recognize intersectionality in its discrimination laws. This means that employees who experience discrimination based on multiple protected characteristics—such as race and gender combined—now have stronger legal protections when seeking justice. What Is Intersectionality, and Why Does It Matter? Intersectionality …

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How Employers Hide Bias in Violation of California Discrimination Laws

Employment Law, Uncategorized / February 27, 2025

Despite clear legal protections intended to create fair workplaces, certain employers still find ways to mask discriminatory practices. They rarely admit to bias directly; instead, they use subtle (and sometimes sophisticated) tactics to avoid scrutiny.  Here are some hidden strategies that may violate California discrimination laws, what warning signs to look for, and how you …

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PAGA protects california workers

Don’t Believe the Naysayers: PAGA Protects California Workers

Employment Law, Wage & Hour / February 21, 2025

California workers, beware! There’s a ballot initiative being put in front of California voters in the November 2024 election that is harmful to workers’ rights cause. The ballot initiative will weaken a longstanding law that protects you from wage theft and other unfair practices. This law is called PAGA (the Labor Code Private Attorneys General …

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microaggressions in employment law

How the Language of “Microaggressions” Plays Out in Employment Law

Employment Law / February 21, 2025

By Ella Zalon (7/28/2023) Commonly experienced in workplace settings, microaggressions are comments or behaviors made due to underlying biases held towards certain groups. They point to an implicit attitude one may hold about a protected class (e.g., ethnic, racial, gender minorities) and can be overlooked or unnoticed by bystanders. Microaggressions may not be direct remarks …

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An Employee Until Proven Otherwise: Determining Your Independent Contractor Status Under California Law

Employee Rights, Employment Law / February 21, 2025

By Eileen Torrez  Being misclassified as an independent contractor when you should be classified as an employee can have significant implications for workers. It can impact your job security, how much you pay in taxes, and whether you are protected by the law if something goes wrong.  Learning more about the laws governing worker classification, …

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From Astrophysics to Employment Law by Dan Gildor

From Astrophysics to Employment Law: A Conversation with Valerian Law’s New Senior Counsel

Employment Law / February 21, 2025

By Alex Li Dan Gildor, Valerian Law’s new Senior Counsel, has lived many professional lives: as an aspiring astrophysicist at MIT, a programmer at start-ups during Silicon Valley’s dot-com boom, an environmental litigator enforcing the Clean Water Act, a lawyer for the Department of Industrial Relations, and a plaintiff’s-side employment lawyer for renowned class-action law …

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