Tustin Employment Lawyer

Tustin Employment Attorney

Being taken advantage of by your employer can be humiliating, confusing, and ultimately quite frustrating. You may not immediately know how to take legal action against them for violating your rights in the workplace. It’s important that you do what you can to protect your position and hold your employer accountable. An experienced Tustin employment lawyer can help you put together a strong case.

The legal team at Briana Kim, PC, understands how difficult it can be to seek legal action against your employer. Many times, doing that completely shatters the professional relationship with that employer. However, if you don’t take the necessary steps to protect your own interests, you could suffer much more down the road. We can help you with all sorts of employment-related legal issues, including unpaid overtime wages, FMLA leave, retaliation claims, and more.

Why Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer?

According to data gathered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there were nearly 2,600 legal incidents involving retaliation in the workplace throughout California in 2024 alone. There were nearly 2,000 involving disability, nearly 1,800 involving race, and nearly 1,500 involving sexual orientation. This kind of behavior is not uncommon in the workplace, and holding the right people accountable can prevent future incidents from happening.

Despite California labor laws prohibiting discrimination, retaliation, and other behaviors in the workplace, situations that would warrant the assistance of an employment lawyer remain uncommon across the state. Being involved in legal action against your employer can be detrimental to your mental health. You may want to consider reaching out to a local mental health support group like NAMI Orange County for help.

When to Hire an Employment Lawyer

You should always consider hiring an employment lawyer when your employer is taking advantage of you, manipulating you, or trying to intimidate you into doing something illegal or immoral. A good employment lawyer can advise you on the right course of action and provide you with legal options to protect yourself. Here are some scenarios that would warrant hiring an employment lawyer to help you deal with an unprecedented legal situation:

• Wage and hour issues. It is vital that you constantly be aware of how much you should be earning every pay period. If your employer withholds a portion of your pay for any reason, such as claiming you are not owed overtime or by misclassifying your employment status, you should seriously consider reaching out to an employment lawyer to see what your options are for legal action in reclaiming your total pay.
• Sexual harassment. It is illegal to sexually harass anyone in the workplace, and reporting the behavior to your employer may be ineffective. Your very next move should be reaching out to an employment lawyer to start building a case against your employer for failing to act responsibly.
• FMLA/CFRA leave. If your employer denies your Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave, you should immediately reach out to an employment lawyer to learn what your options may be. Depending on the situation, you may be owed the right to take FMLA leave or CFRA leave to prepare for childbirth or take care of an adoption, among other reasons.
• Pregnancy discrimination. It is illegal under California labor laws to discriminate against an employee because they are pregnant. Pregnant employees deserve the same treatment as everybody else. If your employer has fired you, demoted you, or has been generally mistreating you because of your pregnancy, you should contact a lawyer.
• Wrongful termination. Since California is an at-will employment state, proving wrongful termination can be particularly difficult. Essentially, at-will employment means that your employer can fire you whenever they want, as long as they don’t fire you for an illegal reason like retaliation, discrimination, or harassment.
• Severance. Sometimes, when you lose your job, your employer may offer you a severance package in exchange for leaving the job a certain way. You should consider bringing in an experienced employment lawyer to negotiate your position or possibly even argue for an increase in your severance package.

FAQs

How Much Does an Employment Lawyer Cost in California?

There is no telling how much an employment lawyer may cost in California. Every employment law case is different, with every case having its own contributing factors that will determine the outcome of the case and how much your lawyer will charge for their services. These factors include the complexity of the case and your lawyer’s own experience and education.

Should I Tell HR I’m Getting a Lawyer?

It is not recommended that you tell your HR department that you’re getting a lawyer, unless your lawyer specifically advises you to do this. If your HR department learns that you are hiring a lawyer to represent your interests, they may immediately get defensive and start making things more difficult for you. Remember, in a legal battle, your employer is no longer on your side.

Is an Employment Law Case Worth It?

That depends. You are the only one who can determine if pursuing legal action against your employer is worth it. Depending on the case, there may be a significant settlement and your professional reputation on the line. You may want to pursue legal action simply to protect your position and hold your employer accountable for treating you poorly. In that case, it may be worth it.

What Is the Difference Between an Employment Lawyer and a Labor Lawyer?

The primary difference between an employment lawyer and a labor lawyer is who they represent. Employment lawyers largely represent employees who are dealing with legal issues with their employers or other important workplace issues. Labor lawyers tend to deal almost exclusively with labor unions, including negotiating between unions and various employers.

Reach Out to an Employment Lawyer Today

Dealing with a legal situation with your employer can be a lot to handle on your own. An experienced employment lawyer can help you put together a strong case and consistently represent your interests. Briana Kim, PC, understands how difficult an employment case can be. Contact us to speak to a valued team member about your case.