Legal Aid At Work

WE SEEK JUSTICE ON THE JOB AND IN THE COMMUNITY BY PROTECTING AND EXPANDING THE RIGHTS OF LOW-WAGE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

WE SUCCESSFULLY CHAMPIONED LEGISLATION (SB 1383) WHICH GIVES SIX MILLION MORE CALIFORNIANS WHO WORK FOR SMALL AND MID-SIZED EMPLOYERS THE RIGHT TO TAKE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING FIRED. THE NEWLY ELIGIBLE WORKERS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOW-WAGE WORKERS AND WORKERS OF COLOR.WE AND CO-COUNSEL AT THE IMPACT FUND OBTAINED A $150,000 SETTLEMENT FOR A TRANSGENDER POLICE OFFICER IN SAN FRANCISCO WHO WAS REPEATEDLY MISGENDERED AND HARASSED ON THE JOB. THE SETTLEMENT ALSO PROVIDES FOR SIGNIFICANT REFORMS TO BETTER PROTECT ALL NONBINARY AND TRANSGENDER WORKERS AT SFPD.OUR APPELLATE ADVOCACY HELPED CONVINCE THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT TO PROTECT UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS FROM EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE. THE COURT RULED THAT UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS ARE NOT CATEGORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM KEY EMPLOYMENT LAW PROTECTIONS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. WE REPRESENTED A BLACK, MUSLIM CONSTRUCTION WORKER WHO HAD BEEN CALLED THE N-WORD AND BEEN REPEATEDLY MOCKED ON THE JOB BECAUSE OF HIS RELIGION FIGHT BACK AGAINST EGREGIOUS WORKPLACE HARASSMENT. WE HELPED THIS WORKER REACH A SIGNIFICANT SETTLEMENT, WHICH INCLUDED NOT ONLY FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR HIMSELF, BUT ALSO CHANGES TO THE WAY THE EMPLOYER OPERATED IN ORDER TO HELP OTHERS IN THE WORKPLACE AS WELL.WE SUCCESSFULLY REPRESENTED A LATINX WAREHOUSE WORKER WHO HAD BEEN FIRED AFTER ASKING FOR A MODIFIED WORK SCHEDULE SO HE COULD RECEIVE LIFE-SAVING DIALYSIS TREATMENT. WE HELPED THE CLIENT GET HIS JOB BACK AND ALL OF THE PAY HE HAD BEEN WRONGFULLY DENIED WHEN THE EMPLOYER PROHIBITED HIM FROM WORKING. ALONG WITH 100+ ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS CALIFORNIA WHO MAKE UP THE SAFETY NET FOR ALL COALITION, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR THE FIRST-IN-THE NATION $75M DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE FOR IMMIGRANTS PROGRAM TO HELP UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE FUND PROVIDED LIFE-LINE PAYMENTS OF UP TO $500 PER PERSON OR $1,000 PER HOUSEHOLD FOR THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED HARDSHIP AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.CONTINUING OUR DECADES-LONG COMMITMENT TO MEETING WORKERS WHERE THEY ARE,WE LAUNCHED OUR 13TH AND 14TH WORKERS RIGHTS CLINIC SITES IN THE RAPIDLY CHANGING COMMUNITIES OF ANTIOCH (IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY) AND ONTARIO (IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY). EACH YEAR, OUR STATEWIDE NETWORK OF CLINICS AND HELPLINES SERVES OVER 3,000 VULNERABLE LOW-WAGE WORKERS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA.