How We Can Help
Protecting Workers Across California
California strongly protects employees from workplace mistreatment. Each section below starts with what may have happened to you, then explains the work we can do before a lawsuit and, if one is filed, in litigation.
What Qualifies As a Workplace Violation?
Statutes such as the California Labor Code, the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the California Family Rights Act, and the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act provide a comprehensive safety net for California workers. Mr. Bryant has handled cases involving all of the following types of workplace violations — and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in the process.
Sexual Harassment
Is your boss sending you sexual text messages, or is a supervisor staring at your body and making sexual comments? Harassment by a supervisor, coworker, or client is illegal under California and federal law. We help you save the messages and record dates and witnesses.
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits sexual harassment in workplaces with one or more employees — broader protection than federal law, which covers employers with 15 or more. Harassment can take the form of unwanted touching, sexual comments or jokes, requests for sexual favors, or a pattern of conduct that creates a hostile work environment.
Does your manager keep asking about your sex life or pushing for a personal relationship after you have said no? We help you document the conversations and identify witnesses. In litigation, we question your manager under oath and demand inspection of relevant information on the harasser's phone to investigate whether they harassed you or others. Mr. Bryant has handled sexual harassment cases against some of the largest employers in California.
Did HR dismiss your complaint, ignore your witnesses, or conclude that nothing happened? In litigation, we demand the entire investigation file, including witness statements, interview notes, and communications about your complaint. We question the HR manager under oath to investigate whether HR ignored evidence, skipped witnesses, or mishandled your complaint. Afraid to report? Call us first for a free, confidential consultation.
Workplace Discrimination
California law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and other protected characteristics.
Discrimination can occur in hiring, promotions, pay, job assignments, discipline, and termination. It can be overt — a manager making racist comments — or subtle, such as consistently passing over qualified employees of a certain background for advancement.
Mr. Bryant has litigated discrimination claims against major corporations including Bank of America, Aetna, Denny's, and the California Department of Corrections, among many others. In litigation, we demand records on coworkers who were treated differently, question decision-makers under oath, and compare their explanations with the documents.
If you believe you have been treated differently because of who you are, contact us for a free consultation.
Pregnancy Discrimination & Maternity Leave
California law provides strong protections for pregnant employees and new parents, including the right to pregnancy leave, baby bonding leave, and protection from discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status.
The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and the Pregnancy Disability Leave law (PDL) provide eligible employees with protected leave for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Employers cannot demote, discipline, or terminate an employee for taking this leave.
Did your employer cut your shifts, change your duties, or start writing you up after learning you were pregnant? We line up your schedules, pay stubs, reviews, and messages against the date your employer found out. In litigation, we demand scheduling records and question the managers who made those changes under oath.
If you were fired, demoted, or treated differently because of your pregnancy or maternity leave, contact Bryant Workers Law for a free consultation.
Retaliation & Wrongful Termination
It is illegal for an employer to punish you for reporting harassment or discrimination, filing a workers' compensation claim, taking protected leave, or engaging in other legally protected activity.
Did your first bad performance review arrive shortly after you complained? Employers often describe retaliation as a performance issue or a restructuring. We help you organize your emails and reviews into a timeline. In litigation, we demand internal emails and texts about you, including messages you were never copied on, and question decision-makers under oath.
California is an at-will employment state, but that does not mean employers can fire you for any reason. Terminations that violate public policy, anti-discrimination laws, or retaliation protections are illegal. Mr. Bryant has argued in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and handled state-court appeals, giving him the depth of experience to take your case as far as it needs to go.
If you reported a problem at work and things got worse afterward — or if you were recently fired and believe the stated reason was not the real reason — contact us for a free consultation.
Wage & Hour Violations
California has some of the strongest wage and hour laws in the country. If your employer has failed to pay you overtime, denied you meal or rest breaks, or misclassified you as exempt, you may be owed significant back pay and penalties.
Does your timecard deduct lunch even when you work through it? Do you answer work texts after you clock out? Off-the-clock work, interrupted meal periods, missed rest breaks, and misclassification are common. We compare timekeeping, payroll, schedules, and work communications to identify unpaid work, missed breaks, and overtime.
Mr. Bryant has filed wage and hour cases against Safeway, Save Mart, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Harris Ranch, SK Foods, and many other large employers. Today the firm represents individual workers in wage and hour claims.
If you believe your employer has not been paying you correctly, contact Bryant Workers Law. There is no cost to you unless we recover money on your behalf.
Disability Discrimination & Accommodation
California law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with physical or mental disabilities — and to engage in a good-faith interactive process to identify those accommodations.
An employer's failure to accommodate a disability — or to even discuss accommodations — can give rise to a claim under FEHA. This includes situations where an employer refuses to modify a job duty, denies a request for leave, or terminates an employee rather than exploring whether an accommodation is possible.
Did your employer stop responding after you turned in work restrictions, or fire you instead of discussing options? We organize your doctor's notes, requests, and replies into an evidence file. In litigation, we demand the HR file on your request and question the people who handled it under oath. Mr. Bryant uses technology to manage the medical records and HR communications these cases involve.
If your employer has refused to accommodate your disability or has taken adverse action against you because of a medical condition, contact us for a free consultation.
Family & Medical Leave (FMLA / CFRA)
Federal and California law protect eligible employees who need to take leave for serious health conditions, to care for a family member, or to bond with a new child.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of protected, unpaid leave per year. Employers cannot interfere with your right to take this leave or retaliate against you for taking it.
Did you return from medical or bonding leave to find your job filled, your hours cut, or your absences counted against you? We gather your leave requests, approvals, and return-to-work messages. In litigation, we demand leave and attendance records and question the managers who decided what happened to your job.
If your employer denied your leave request or took action against you for taking protected leave, contact Bryant Workers Law for a free consultation.
Whistleblower Retaliation
California law protects employees who report illegal activity, unsafe working conditions, or violations of law by their employer. If you were punished for speaking up, you may have a whistleblower retaliation claim.
California Labor Code Section 1102.5 is one of the broadest whistleblower protection statutes in the country. It prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report violations of law to a government agency, to a supervisor, or even internally within the company.
Did you report a safety concern and get fired shortly afterward? Were your hours cut or your duties changed? We help you preserve your report and the dates around it. In litigation, we demand internal emails and texts about your report and question the decision-makers under oath.
If you reported illegal activity or unsafe conditions at work and faced consequences for it, contact Bryant Workers Law for a free, confidential consultation.
Unequal Pay
California's Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay employees of different genders, races, or ethnicities equally for substantially similar work. If you are being paid less than a colleague doing the same job, you may have a claim.
California has some of the strongest equal pay protections in the nation. The California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying employees of one sex less than employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work, and extends those protections to race and ethnicity as well.
Did you learn that a coworker doing the same job is paid more? In litigation, we demand payroll records, compensation data, and internal communications, and we compare your job duties side by side with your coworker's.
If you suspect you are being paid less than colleagues doing the same work because of your gender, race, or ethnicity, contact Bryant Workers Law for a free consultation.
Severance Agreement Review — FREE
Received a severance agreement and a deadline? Bryant Workers Law offers a free attorney review of severance agreements for California employees, including any arbitration agreement you signed during employment.
A severance agreement is a legal contract. When you sign it, you typically release all claims against your employer — including claims you may not know you have. Before you sign, it is worth understanding what you are giving up and what you are already owed regardless of whether you sign.
Bryant Workers Law offers a free attorney review of severance agreements for California employees. If we accept your agreement for review, you will receive a short written assessment of the agreement and your options, including any arbitration agreement you signed during employment. The review covers what you would be giving up, what you are already owed, and whether the offer makes sense for your situation.
Severance agreements often include deadlines of 21 or 45 days. If you have received an agreement and a deadline, contact Bryant Workers Law to learn how the free review works.
Also Handled
Other Workplace Issues We Handle
Not Sure Which Category Fits Your Situation?
Many employment cases involve more than one type of claim. Contact Bryant Workers Law for a free, confidential consultation. Mr. Bryant will listen to what happened and give you an honest assessment of your options.