Sex Discrimination

Women across this country [are] still earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn — women of color even less — which means that today, in the year 2009, countless women are still losing thousands of dollars in salary, income and retirement savings over the course of a lifetime.

President Barack Obama, January 27, 2009.

Despite the strides made in eliminating gender bias, women still suffer discrimination in the workplace. At Rukin Hyland Doria & Tindall, our employment lawyers have successfully pursued claims on behalf of California employees who were harmed by illegal sex o discrimination.

If you have been discriminated against by your employer because of your gender, contact us online or call 415-421-1800 to schedule a consultation with one of our employment attorneys.

Types of Gender Discrimination

Wage discrimination occurs where an employer pays employees of one sex less than employees of the other sex for the same work. This type of discrimination is illegal under the Equal Pay Act and other laws.

Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination. Sexual harassment claims can involve situations where a boss or supervisor demands or requests sexual favors in exchange for continued employment or other benefits. A hostile work environment claim may exist when a workplace is dominated by offensive, sexually explicit material or employees are subjected to sexually abusive behaviors from managers, clients, supervisors or coworkers.

Pregnancy discrimination includes situations where an employer takes an adverse employment action against a female employee because of pregnancy or childbirth. Discriminatory actions taken because of pregnancy or childbirth can include treating pregnancy-related disability differently than other types of disability.

Breastfeeding accommodations: Under California's Lactation Accommodation Law, employees are allowed to take breaks to express or pump breast milk for their infant children. Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide a private place for expressing milk.

New Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Claims

After working hard at her job for almost two decades, Lilly Ledbetter learned that she was paid less than her male colleagues who were performing the same work. She filed a sex discrimination claim that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Her claim did not succeed because the Court held that the law required her claim to be filed within 180 days of her employer's initial decision to pay her less than it paid her male coworkers.

In 2009, Congress enacted the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow employees to file a discrimination claim within 180 days of receiving any discriminatory paycheck. In addition to claims for the denial of equal pay based on gender, the new law also applies to discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, disability or age. President Obama signed the Act into law on January 27, 2009.

Contact Us for a Confidential Consultation

If you believe you have been the victim of illegal gender discrimination in San Francisco or anywhere in Northern California, contact us online or by phone at 415-421-1800, to meet with an experienced employment lawyer.