California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against persons with medical conditions, mental disabilities, or physical disabilities. “Mental disabilities” include intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, or learning disabilities. “Physical disabilities” include conditions such as back, neck, or knee injuries, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, obesity, hypersensitivity to smoke, and high blood pressure. The FEHA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for your disability, including making existing facilities accessible to and usable by disabled persons, granting a leave of absence to recover from an injury, reassignment to a vacant position, restructuring job schedules and responsibilities, purchasing or modifying equipment or devices, and providing interpreters or readers.

If you experience disability discrimination in the workplace, you will want to hire an employment law attorney who is experienced in handling discrimination cases. There are various procedural technicalities you have to be aware of before pursuing a discrimination lawsuit, such as filing a complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing and obtaining a “Right-to-Sue Letter.” If these administrative steps are not done timely or correctly, it will bar you from bringing your discrimination suit.

If you prevail in your discrimination lawsuit, you may be entitled to money to compensate you for the emotional harm the discrimination caused you, back pay (plus interest), future lost pay, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

When it comes to tackling disability discrimination in the workplace, along with other employment law issues, Fidelity Law has a strong track record. We take pride in providing personalized attention and quality representation to each of our clients. The fact that we choose quality over quantity allows us to focus on you and provide you with exceptional results. Contact us today to talk to a legal expert about your disability discrimination case and learn your rights in California.