Employment Law

Employment law is one of our primary areas of expertise. Our legal team takes pride in representing employees in Oakland, Berkeley, Hayward, and throughout California who have been wrongfully terminated, sexually harassed and/or discriminated against in the workplace. Whether you are still working for your employer or not you may be aware of situations or practices that may be unlawful. Whatever the situation, we are here to support you and provide counsel, or even file an employment lawsuit if necessary.

We take pride in being your advocate in the workplace. Whether you have been terminated or you are still on the job and your gut feeling tells you, “something isn’t right here,” we fight for you to recover what you have lost. or provide counseling to let you know what your rights are.

Our statewide employment law experience includes but is not limited to:

All types of discrimination (age, disability, HIV, race, retaliation, sex, sexual orientation, etc.)

• Wrongful Termination
• Whistleblower Retaliation
• Wage & Hour Claims (including lost overtime, meal time, break times)
• Unpaid Vacation Days
• Unpaid Expenses
• Unemployment Benefits (appeals and counsel)
• Sexual Harassment
• Negotiating Working Conditions
• Negotiating Hiring, Promotion, and Severance Agreements
• Hostile Work Environment
• Family Medical Leave Act
• California Family Rights Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Contract claims (bad faith, breach, fraud, unconscionability)
• Collective Bargaining/Union Law
• Discrimination (age, sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, HIV, retaliation, etc.)
• And other employment services as needed

We understand how confusing and challenging it can be to try to navigate the law on your own. You may be concerned that your employer’s policies and procedures are unjust, or you may have been wrongfully terminated, discriminated against, or been refused accommodations for a disability or medical need. Whatever your situation, we will use our nearly-two decades of employment law experience to achieve the best outcome possible for you.

All employees have a number of basic rights including fair compensation, the right to privacy, freedom from being discriminated against, etc. In addition, employers may not hire or fire an individual on the bases of race, gender, age, and other factors. If your rights have been violated we will fight for you. As a dedicated Bay Area Employment Law Firm, we also work to ensure that employers fulfill their duty to provide employees with a safe work environment that is free from toxic substances or dangerous situations/safety hazards. Additionally, we advocate for people who are treated unfairly for speaking up about injustice in the workplace. It is against the law for employers to retaliate against an employee who reports unlawful behavior or circumstances in the workplace, sometimes referred to as “whistleblowing”.

Remember, if your gut feeling tells you “something isn’t right,” it probably isn’t. Trust yourself first, and then trust us to bring you fair compensation for your losses, and/or dignity and respect back to your work environment.

It is vital to choose an employment lawyer with a lengthy, proven track record of experience who is compassionate, caring and dedicated to protecting employees. One of our mottoes is to “listen, learn and lead”. Our long list of satisfied clients can attest that we do just that. Spencer Young and his team of staff and experts will give your case the individual attention it deserves. It is unfortunate that in this day and age, employers take advantage of their employees. Employers have proven time and time again that it is cheaper to cheat employees than to compete in the fair market. If your employer is discriminating or retaliating, not paying fair wages and overtime, not reimbursing you for expenses, failing to pay you for unused vacation pay upon termination, and/or breaching agreements with you, contact us for a free consultation: (510) 645-1585.

• Wrongful Termination
• Harassment
• Discrimination
• Retaliation
• What is Protected Activity? How Does it Relate to Retaliation?
• Wage and Hour
• Pregnancy Disability Leave
• Domestic Employees & Personal Attendants
• Cease and Desist Letters
• Defamation
• Severance Agreements
• Sick Leave
• Family Medical Leave Act
• Independent Contractors
• Resignation, Termination, UI and Appeals
• Reimbursement for Work Related Expenses
• Employees’ Right to Employment Records (Employees and Employers)
• Americans With Disabilities Act
• Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace
• Interactive Process
• COVID-19 Virus – Information for Employees
• Presenting and Proving Your Employment Law Case
• For Employers
• California Fair Chance Act: “Ban the Box”
• Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements
• Termination From Public Employment
• Breach of Contract
• Private Attorneys General Act
• EEOC and DFEH
• Safety in the Workplace
• Proposition 22 and App-Based “Gig” Workers
• Work Furloughs
• COVID Vaccines and the Workplace
• Audio Recordings in the Workplace
• What is a Skelly Hearing?