San Francisco Employment Law Blog

In an ideal professional environment, employers reward team members for years of long-term service and loyalty. In some workplaces, this is, unfortunately, not the case. It is not uncommon for older employees to experience discrimination because of their age.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) upholds federal law regarding discrimination. If you believe your supervisor or coworkers are treating you poorly, and you are age 40 or older, you may have grounds to pursue litigation.

It is a sad reality that gender bias plays a significant role in the workplace. Implicit bias refers to an unconscious tendency to favor something over another – in this case, favoring men above women. Even if a company does not have an issue with explicit sexism or discrimination, it can still be a restrictive and harmful environment for female employees. 

Why do so many organizations struggle with closing the gender gap, and what can you do about it? Here is a quick guide to combating gender bias at your job.

As a woman in the American workforce, you may have found at some point during your career that you had struggles advancing or securing the salary you deserve, and you may attribute this to the fact that you are a woman. Regrettably, many employers have something of an unconscious bias against female employees, and this holds true regardless of whether the employer is female, herself.

Just as young boys and girls often grow up to believe that there are “boy’s activities” and girl’s activities,” this sentiment often continues later in life, where it can have a direct impact on the work environment. For example, throughout life, many young boys and girls grow up to believe that men are the ones who typically hold leadership roles, and it can be hard to shake this subconscious belief that men are better suited to positions of power.

The Family Medical Leave Act protects American workers from discriminatory practices which prevent them from taking necessary medical leave. An employee may take up to 3 months' total unpaid leave from work per year under specific conditions. The employee retains full job security and company group health benefits during the period of absence.

A person is eligible if their company employs 50 or more workers within a 75-mile area, and the employee has accumulated a minimum of 1,250 work hours during a cumulative period of at least 12 months. There are additional leave days for specific conditions, such as up to 26 weeks leave for workers who care for incapacitated family military service members.