Long Beach Age Discrimination Lawyer

Long Beach Age Discrimination Attorney

Despite strict laws against age discrimination, it still persists in many workplaces around Long Beach. If you have experienced discrimination due to your age, you are likely facing negative impacts on your career, financial stability, and emotional health. A Long Beach age discrimination lawyer can help hold your employer accountable for their unfair and unlawful practices.

Why Choose Kramer Brown Hui LLP

At Kramer Brown Hui LLP, we are dedicated to representing employees who have been victims of discrimination or harassment at work. Our team has decades of experience protecting employees’ rights under federal and California age discrimination laws.

We understand how challenging it can be to face age discrimination, which is why our compassionate attorneys offer detailed guidance throughout this process and work tirelessly to pursue the remedies you deserve.

Understanding What Age Discrimination Entails

Age discrimination involves employers unfairly treating or harassing employees due to their age, specifically against employees who are over 40. Age discrimination covers a variety of unlawful conduct, which is why you should contact a Long Beach age discrimination attorney if you feel you are facing unfair treatment. Some of the most common ways age discrimination exists in the workplace include:

• Making hiring, firing, promotion, pay, scheduling, and other employment decisions based on an employee’s age
• Discriminatory policies that penalize older workers or unfairly impact older adults, such as mandatory early retirement
• Making offensive comments or jokes about an employee’s age
• Retaliating against an employee for reporting, participating in an investigation, or filing a legal claim for age discrimination against an employer

Unfortunately, age discrimination is a common issue. Of workers age 50 and older, 64% report witnessing or personally experiencing age discrimination at work. This issue exists across industries, whether you work for the City of Long Beach or major industries such as aerospace or healthcare. Of employees who work in civil service, 28.3% are between 40 and 49, 23.3% are 50-59, and 10.6% are over 59, leaving many employees vulnerable to discrimination.

California’s Age Discrimination Laws Protecting Long Beach Employees

As a Long Beach employee, you have both California and federal legal protections. Two major laws that protect both your right against discrimination and your right to file a claim against your employer are:

• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
• The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990
• The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)

Damages in an Age Discrimination Case in Long Beach, California

Many employees choose to file a claim in Long Beach, California not only to hold their employer accountable, but to help themselves recover from harm arising from the discrimination. In 2024, the California Civil Rights Department received 5,911 employment complaints involving age, many of which involved significant financial and emotional losses. The three main types of monetary compensation you can recover include:

• Economic damages. Non-economic damages are the financial losses you have experienced due to age discrimination. This most often includes back pay from lost wages and benefits to which you were entitled. It may also include front pay.
• Non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are the intangible impacts of discrimination. This includes the emotional distress you may have experienced, as well as other damages such as career impacts, damage to your professional reputation, or humiliation.
• Liquidated damages. Liquidated damages are one of the penalties for age discrimination against the employer. Liquidated damages can be included in your compensation to punish your employer for willful discrimination against you. Generally, liquidated damages that are awarded are equivalent to the amount of back pay you receive.

Why You Should Hire an Age Discrimination Lawyer

Navigating an age discrimination claim on your own can be overwhelming. Claims involve confronting your employer and their legal team and building arguments designed to counter common defenses employers may use to avoid accountability, such as claiming their actions were due to your performance rather than your age.

Working with a skilled Long Beach age discrimination lawyer can reduce your stress by building strategic claims against your employer.

In addition to building a strong argument, a lawyer can also handle the communication with your employer, helping you avoid costly mistakes and statements that could weaken your claim. If necessary, they can also represent you in court in order to pursue the full compensation you need to recover after experiencing discrimination.

FAQs

How Hard Is It to Prove Age Discrimination?

Proving age discrimination is difficult, as it requires proving that the adverse action you suffered, such as harassment or firing, was directly due to your age rather than other, legitimate reasons. Because proving age discrimination is so challenging, you should hire an age discrimination lawyer who can negotiate with your employer, analyze evidence, advocate for you in court, and relentlessly pursue a favorable outcome for your case.

What Evidence Do You Need to Prove Age Discrimination?

For a successful age discrimination case, you must have sufficient evidence to prove that you are over the age of 40 and have been a victim of discrimination due to your age. A variety of evidence may be used to prove this, including communication records with your employer, internal company complaints, performance reviews, witness statements, and personal records of discriminatory conduct. Your lawyer can help you gather and analyze the necessary evidence.

What Should You Do if You Suspect Age Discrimination at Work?

If you suspect that you are being discriminated against due to your age, you should start documenting everything, including records of conversations, emails, and the details of the discrimination. Then, report the issue internally through your HR team or supervisor. If internal reporting does not resolve the issue, hire an age discrimination lawyer who can help you take legal action.

Can You Be Retaliated Against for Filing an Age Discrimination Claim?

No, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against you, as it is your legal right to report age discrimination. Retaliation can involve being fired, being demoted, being subject to worse working conditions, receiving negative performance reviews, and other adverse actions. If you are being retaliated against, a Long Beach age discrimination lawyer can help you file a claim.

Work With an Experienced Long Beach Age Discrimination Attorney

Every employee deserves a fair workplace. If age discrimination is preventing you from the stability and career growth you deserve, contact Kramer Brown Hui LLP to schedule a free consultation.