California is regarded as an “employee-friendly” state. Employees have a host of legal rights and they can assert these rights without retaliation.
Here are some of the most common examples of protected employment activities.
Reporting unsafe workplace conditions
While some occupations are hazardous, employees should not face unnecessary dangers in the workplace. Workers are free to report unsafe workplace conditions either internally or to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Reporting discrimination
Employees cannot be treated unfavorably because of protected characteristics like race, religion, gender and disability. Some examples of discrimination include being denied access to opportunities and facing harassment. An employee can report discriminatory actions without facing retaliation. This also applies to employees who may have not experienced discrimination, but have witnessed it.
Taking protected leave
Employees are entitled to certain types of leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). This includes time off for pregnancy, to look after a newborn child or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. An employee taking protected leave cannot face retaliation, even if it leaves the business in a less-than-ideal situation.
Requesting reasonable accommodations
Workers with disabilities are entitled to request reasonable accommodations. This includes things like altering schedules, modifying access to the workplace and restructuring job duties. An employer can only reject reasonable accommodation requests if they would cause undue financial hardship to the business.
These are just some of the key protected employment activities in California. To find out more about your legal rights as an employee, it may help to seek legal guidance.