What Type of Conduct is Prohibited in California?
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 requirements. They are also required to make sure that the working environment is neither hostile to a specific 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 nevertheless paid differently. Employers in Napa will 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. A Napa employer could be held liable for the unwelcome conduct, even if it was an employee's co-worker who engaged in the sexual harassment.
A California employer could also be liable for harassment if they allow conduct to lead to an environment that is overly sexual. Gender discrimination is usually difficult to prove without a lawyer because the specifics of proving intent can be complicated. There are also detailed procedures that must be followed when pursuing a claim.
