How Can a Walnut Creek Employment Lawyer Help If You’ve Been Wronged?
At Venardi Zurada, we’re committed to protecting the rights of workers like you and holding companies accountable for abuses of power. Our trusted Walnut Creek employment attorneys can walk you through every step of the legal process and handle each aspect of your case, including:
- Explaining your legal rights under California law through a free consultation
- Investigating your experiences and gathering evidence
- Reviewing your employment contract, written communications, employer policies, and other documents to build a strong case
- Filing administrative complaints with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or other appropriate agencies
- Handling communications and settlement negotiations with your employer
- Pursuing a lawsuit, if necessary
- Protecting you from retaliation throughout the complaint process
Types of Employment Cases We Handle in Walnut Creek
Our team handles all types of employment law cases in Walnut Creek and throughout the Bay Area, including:
- Age Discrimination
- Class Action Wage & Hour Claims
- Disability Discrimination
- Employee Discrimination
- Employment Contract
- Gender & Sex Discrimination
- Meal & Rest Break
- Misclassification & Exempt/Hourly
- Misclassification & Independent Contractor
- National Origin Discrimination
- Overtime & Double Time
- Pay Stub Violations
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Race & Color Discrimination
- Religious Harassment
- Retaliation & Wrongful Termination
- Retaliation For Complaints
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Orientation & LGBT Discrimination
- Unpaid Hours
- Wage & Hour Law
- Wage & Hour Record Keeping
- Weight Discrimination
- Whistleblower
What Rights Do Employees in Walnut Creek Have Under California Law?
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and similar laws provide a variety of job-based protections. Under FEHA, it is illegal to discriminate against workers or job applicants based on a protected characteristic, including race, religion, sex, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more.
FEHA also protects workers from harassment based on the same categories and bans retaliation against anyone who reports violations. In addition, employers are legally required to grant reasonable requests for religious or disability accommodations.
Wage and hour laws require employers to pay California workers a minimum wage, properly compensate them for overtime work, and provide minimum break periods.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Walnut Creek Employment Law Case?
Employers are most frequently held liable for violating the rights of California workers, but liability can extend to other parties in certain situations. While employers are typically vicariously liable for their employees’ actions, individuals can also be held responsible for harassment in some cases.
If third-party vendors or contractors contribute to harassment, discrimination, or other employment law violations, they can also be found liable as an agent of the victim’s employer.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered in an Employment Claim?
Workers can recover multiple different types of compensation in employment law cases, including:
- Economic damages: These compensate for financial losses, such as back pay for lost wages, missing benefits, diminished future income, and more.
- Non-economic damages: These compensate for subjective harms to one’s quality of life, including emotional distress.
- Punitive damages: These are available as a penalty for severe misconduct in rare cases.
- Non-financial remedies: Workers who were wrongfully terminated can be reinstated to their position when feasible, and some cases can lead to workplace policy changes to prevent future issues.
Why Choose the Walnut Creek Employment Attorneys at Venardi Zurada?
At Venardi Zurada, we pride ourselves on our deep connection and commitment to our community. As an official sponsor of the San Francisco 49ers, our team is proud to live and work in the same Bay Area neighborhoods as our clients. We even have an office located in Walnut Creek for convenient local access.
Founded by prominent attorneys Mark Venardi and Martin Zurada, our firm has secured more than $100 million in compensation over decades of experience spent fighting for clients like you. Our dedicated team prioritizes personalized representation and crystal-clear communication through every step of the legal process, ensuring you’re treated like family from start to finish.
We Secure Results for Our Clients
We’re proud of the track record of success we’ve built. Some of the notable case results we’ve won for Bay Area employment law clients include:
Settlement
$3 Million
Employment
Truck Drivers v. Agricultural Company. $3,000,000 class action settlement agreement that included payments to truck drivers and forgiveness of their debt. Our firm was lead co-counsel in a class action and PAGA claim for truck drivers of an agricultural company engaging in wage theft. The drivers did not receive pay as they waited substantial amounts of time to load and unload their trucks. Truck drivers who left the company were unlawfully charged for training expenses to discourage them from leaving. The settlement resulted in hundreds of hard-working truck drivers being better compensated for their work going back over five years, and forgiveness of the unlawful training charges.
Partner
Court Trial Judgment
$1.5 million
Employment
Martin Zurada led a case for two disadvantaged and frequently houseless immigrants who were cheated and abused by an unscrupulous motel owner in Oakland. Both were cheated out of their wages for the hard work they had been putting in at the motel. Worse yet, our female client was repeatedly sexually harassed and assaulted by the motel owner. The motel owner knew that our female client was in need of the income from her motel job to obtain stable housing and regain custody of her children. He never imagined that these powerless people would fight back or find a law firm that would believe in them and would fight for their rights. We fought numerous motions and other delay tactics to get to trial. The highest offer we ever got was “$5,000” for both of our clients. We were told that our clients had a “nuisance” lawsuit that was worth nothing. We couldn’t wait for years for a jury trial in Alameda County, so we agreed to bring the case before a judge to speed up the wheels of justice. After a five-day trial led by Martin Zurada, we obtained a judgment for over $800,000 for our clients, and then we augmented it with an award of over $750,000 in attorney’s fees and costs. We then aggressively pursued collection, and, within six months of the trial, we forced the sale of the motel where all of the wrongdoing happened which resulted in our clients and our firm obtaining full money justice.
Partner
Full Policy Limit Settlement
$1 Million
Employment
Our clients were females working for a non-profit that permitted unlawful behavior towards them and ignored repeated complaints.
Partner
Partner
Hear It From Those We've Helped
Our clients’ testimonials are an honest reflection of what it’s like to work with our firm.
"Mark’s advice was spot-on"
I retained Mark after consulting him regarding issues I was experiencing with my employer. Mark’s advice was spot-on, and he was extremely generous with both his time and billing. More importantly, Mark fought diligently for my rights throughout the process ensuring I was not taken advantage of. It can not be overstated how important it is to have a knowledgable attorney with integrity leading the way when you find yourself being bullied by a juggernaut of a corporation. Having Mark in my corner was the best decision I could have possibly made.
Chris C.
"Expert Negotiators, Genuine Care"
I am very thankful to have been represented by VZ Law Firm for my employment settlement. They did their best to negotiate a reasonable settlement amount for my case. I also felt very cared for by everyone I interacted with at the firm throughout the process. Highly recommend.
Natnael D.
"Your Best Choice for Employment Law"
If you need an employment attorney in the Bay Area, Tanya and the team at VZ are highly regarded, and I consider them the best choice. You won’t be disappointed.
Aaron F.
"Empowered and Supported Every Step"
When I first made initial contact with them, they were very attentive, focused, and informative about my rights as a worker. I left feeling empowered and confident that they would represent me to the fullest, which they did. Any questions, concerns, or help I needed, they walked me through it, holding my hand without any rebuttal from them. Jamie was super smart, attentive, and friendly. She made me feel cared for without feeling embarrassed about the fundamentals of my case. We won! Martin is super cool, smart, and supportive of the working class. Without this dynamic duo, I would have been hopeless and just a victim of injustice at the workplace. So, kudos and thanks 🙏🏿 to Venardi and Zurada. For the record, Martin did my intake and believed in me. He gave the green light to push their train of victory down the path of injustice, and we prevailed. So, don’t feel afraid. Let them represent you to the fullest!
Robs R.
Get a Free Consultation With an Employment Lawyer in Walnut Creek Today
An experienced Walnut Creek employment lawyer can navigate your case through every step of the legal process, saving you the stress of dealing with a complex wrongful termination, discrimination, or other workplace violation claim on your own. When you work with our trusted team, you won’t pay anything unless we win your case.
Contact us online or call 833-893-6763 today to schedule your free consultation with Venardi Zurada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Be Fired for Reporting Workplace Harassment?
No, firing, demoting, or harassing an employee for reporting workplace violations is considered unlawful retaliation.
What Should I Do if I Am Being Discriminated Against at Work?
If you believe you’ve experienced workplace discrimination, start taking thorough notes of your experiences. Gather all available evidence relevant to your case, then reach out to an employment lawyer for a free consultation. Your attorney can walk you through whether you have a valid legal claim and explain your options.
How Long Do I Have to File an Employment Claim in California?
Deadlines for employment claims depend on the type of case. FEHA complaints generally must be filed with the California Civil Rights Department within three years, while federal discrimination, wage, contract, whistleblower, and wrongful termination claims may have different deadlines under statute of limitations rules.
Can I Sue My Employer for Emotional Distress?
Yes, you can pursue damages for emotional distress in an employment lawsuit. However, winning them can be complex. A Walnut Creek employment lawyer can walk you through your chances of recovering damages for emotional distress.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire an Employment Lawyer in Walnut Creek, CA?
It costs nothing to hire a trusted Walnut Creek employment attorney from Venardi Zurada. Your initial consultation is free, and we don’t charge any fees unless you win your case.
