The Civil Rights Act of 1963 and the Equal Pay Act prohibit employers in California from discriminating on the basis of gender. Accordingly, gender may not be the basis for any employer decisions regarding pay, hiring policies, or promotion policies. They are also required to make sure that the working environment is neither hostile to a certain gender nor overtly sexual.

What Must be Proven in a Discrimination Claim?

Under the Equal Pay act, discrimination can be proven if men and women both work in the same place, do the same job, but are nonetheless paid differently. Employers in Merced may also be held liable in a discrimination claim if their hiring and promotion policies favor one gender, or if the they take retaliatory action against a worker who files a complaint against their employer.

When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?

Physical or verbal acts of a sexual nature that are unwelcome to the victim are considered to be sexual harassment. An employer in Merced may be liable for such conduct, even when it is simply other co-workers that have engaged in harassment.

If the employer allows conduct to create an overly sexual work environment, they might be held liable for sexual harassment in California. It can be hard to prove gender discrimination without first obtaining a lawyer, since specifics such as proving intent can often be complicated. There might also be procedures that must be followed in detail when one pursues a claim.