- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
Our Glendale employment lawyers advocate for employees facing pay disputes, wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, and more. If your employer refuses to act justly, we will pursue the compensation and remedies available under the law.
Contact Mercer Legal Group today for a free consultation with a Glendale employment lawyer.
A Glendale employment lawyer does more than know the statutes. They know how workplace cases actually move through Los Angeles County Superior Court, where most Glendale employment suits are filed. Glendale sits in the court’s North Central District, so eligible matters can be heard at the Glendale Courthouse on East Broadway, while larger unlimited-civil cases usually go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown or the Burbank courthouse nearby.
Most workers who call us are dealing with the same handful of problems: a firing that followed a complaint, wages that never showed up, harassment that HR ignored, a demotion after medical leave. A local lawyer can read the facts, tell you whether a claim is there, and lay out the deadlines that may already be running before you lose the right to file.
Workplace problems take many forms, and employees often don’t know where to turn. A Glendale employment attorney handles the full range — wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and wage disputes. Knowing what these claims look like helps you recognize when your rights have been crossed, so here are the ones we see most often in Glendale workplaces.
Employment discrimination and harassment
Discrimination happens when a worker is treated worse because of a protected characteristic — race, gender, age, religion, disability, or national origin. Under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and the federal protections enforced by the EEOC, you have the right to a workplace free of that treatment. When it happens anyway, a Glendale employment lawyer can review the facts, gather evidence, and file the complaint or claim that pushes back.
Wage and overtime disputes
These come up when you aren’t paid what you’re owed: unpaid overtime, missed meal or rest breaks, minimum-wage violations, or being misclassified as an independent contractor. The Fair Labor Standards Act and California’s own wage rules entitle you to proper pay for every hour worked. Over months, these shortfalls add up to real money. We review pay records, find the violations, and pursue back pay and penalties.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) violations
An FMLA violation happens when an employer denies an eligible worker job-protected leave for a serious health condition, family care, or a new child. California’s own leave law, the CFRA, often reaches further than the federal FMLA. If you were punished for taking leave you were owed, a Glendale FMLA discrimination lawyer can document it and help you recover lost wages or benefits.
Retaliation claims
Retaliation is when an employer punishes you for asserting a legal right — reporting discrimination, harassment, or wage theft. It’s protected under Title VII, FEHA, and Labor Code §1102.5, and it’s often easier to prove than the underlying complaint because the timeline tells the story. Employees generally have 300 days to file with the EEOC or the state. The evidence that matters most: documented complaints, dates of the employer’s actions, and witnesses who saw the connection.
Mercer Legal Group’s attorneys have handled the full range of matters that come out of Glendale workplaces — wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, FMLA and CFRA leave interference, and the supervisor misconduct that doesn’t get reported until a worker finally calls a lawyer. We’re California-licensed, and we know how the Labor Code and FEHA run in practice, which is often different from how they read on paper. The patterns repeat: a layoff that lands right after a medical leave, a first-ever bad review that appears only after a complaint, a sudden schedule change for the person who raised a safety issue.
Simon Moshkovich (CA Bar #323584) leads the employment team. The first step is always the same — a free consultation where we look at what happened, the documents you have, and any deadlines already running. Do I Need an Employment Lawyer? covers the situations that usually warrant that call.
Glendale runs on a few big industries, and each one produces its own kind of dispute. It’s an animation and entertainment town — DreamWorks Animation is headquartered here, with Disney and Warner Bros. right next door in Burbank — which brings contractor misclassification, brutal production schedules, and the quiet retaliation that can follow a harassment complaint. Healthcare is the other anchor: Adventist Health Glendale and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital employ thousands of nurses and support staff who run into meal-break, overtime, and whistleblower problems. Retail at the Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria, plus a deep bench of insurance, finance, and professional-services employers, fills out the rest.
Glendale also has one of the most diverse workforces in the county, including a large Armenian-American community, and national-origin and language-discrimination claims come with that. We take cases across all of it.
California gives employees stronger protections than federal law in most areas. The Labor Code covers wage and hour, whistleblower retaliation (§1102.5), and expense reimbursement (§2802). FEHA covers discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and it reaches any employer with five or more workers. The CFRA covers medical and family leave more broadly than the federal FMLA. Together they cover most disputes a Glendale worker will face, and local employers answer to Los Angeles County rules on top of state law.
Our work runs the whole procedural path: filing with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), handling EEOC charges, bringing wage claims before the Labor Commissioner (DLSE), and litigating in Los Angeles County Superior Court when negotiation stalls. Glendale sits in the court’s North Central District — eligible cases may be heard at the Glendale Courthouse at 600 E. Broadway, while larger unlimited-civil matters go downtown to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse or to Burbank. How to Prove Employment Discrimination in California walks through the evidence that moves these claims.
The terminology trips people up. Employment attorney, labor attorney, and “work lawyer” get used interchangeably, but they don’t all mean the same thing:
| Term | What it usually means | When you want one |
|---|---|---|
| Employment attorney | Individual-employee work: wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage claims, FMLA/CFRA leave, severance review | You’re an employee or former employee with a dispute against your employer |
| Labor attorney | Historically union- or management-side work — NLRA collective bargaining, union contracts, organizing, ULP charges. Often used loosely today as a synonym for employment attorney. | You’re dealing with union representation, NLRA matters, or a collective dispute |
| Work lawyer | Informal catch-all — usually means whatever the searcher would call an employment lawyer | You’re searching casually; what you need is almost always an employment attorney |
We represent Glendale employees across all of these claim types, from severance review before you sign to full litigation. Consultations are free, we’re available 24/7, and se habla español. For the firm’s broader California practice, see our Employment Law Services page; for harassment specifically, How to Choose a Workplace Harassment Lawyer and Workplace Sexual Harassment Help go deeper.
Contact our Glendale employment lawyers for a free consultation today
When your job and your income are on the line, the lawyer you pick matters. A few things worth checking before you sign anything:
They actually practice employment law. Not personal injury with an employment case on the side. Someone who handles discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation week in and week out spots problems — and defenses — that a generalist misses.
They know the local courts. A lawyer who has filed in the North Central District and worked Los Angeles County Superior Court knows how these cases get scheduled, mediated, and tried in this part of the county.
They’ve handled cases like yours. A wage claim and a FEHA harassment suit are not the same animal. Ask directly whether they’ve done the kind of case you’re bringing.
They’re clear about fees. Most plaintiff-side employment work is contingency, so you should hear exactly how fees and litigation costs work up front — in plain language, not fine print.
Clients say they were treated well. Reviews tell you whether a firm returns calls and explains things, or leaves people in the dark.
At Mercer Legal Group, we handle employment matters for Glendale workers through settlement and litigation, we work in English and Spanish, and we’ll tell you honestly what your case is worth before you spend a day on it.
Mercer Legal Group reviews employment law claims carefully, explains available options, and pursues appropriate remedies when the facts and law support them. Every case is different, and no attorney can guarantee a specific result.
Two notable employment-law case results listed by Mercer Legal Group show how experienced legal support can be important. In one hostile work environment case, Mercer helped four employees who faced discrimination from their employer’s owner and manager. In a separate retaliation case, Mercer defended an employee who faced wrongful termination just three months after reporting wage and hour violations. These results show that an employment lawyer can hold employers accountable and help employees pursue claims for unfair treatment.
Ready to Speak to an Employment Lawyer in Glendale?
At Mercer Legal Group, our Glendale employment lawyers bring experience, credibility, and relevant experience to protecting workers facing discrimination, retaliation, wage violations, or wrongful termination. We understand how deeply these issues affect your career, finances, and well-being, which is why we provide clear guidance and skilled, dedicated representation from start to finish. If you’re dealing with unfair treatment at work, contact our team today for a free case review and dedicated support toward resolving your claim.
Workplace disputes come with a lot of questions. Here are straight answers to the ones Glendale workers ask us most.
Where are Glendale employment lawsuits filed?
Most employment cases involving Glendale workers are filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Glendale is in the court’s North Central District, so eligible matters may be heard at the Glendale Courthouse at 600 E. Broadway, while larger unlimited-civil cases typically go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown or the Burbank courthouse. Which venue applies depends on the size and type of your claim.
How do I know if I have a wrongful termination case in Glendale?
California is an at-will state, but at-will does not let an employer fire you for an illegal reason — discrimination, retaliation for a complaint, taking protected medical leave, or refusing to break the law. If your firing lines up with any of those, and you have emails, reviews, or witnesses that show it, you may have a claim. A free consultation is the fastest way to find out.
How do I report workplace discrimination in Glendale?
You file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), which enforces the Fair Employment and Housing Act, or with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Most FEHA lawsuits require a CRD right-to-sue notice first. Document what happened as it happens, and talk to a lawyer before you file so the complaint is framed correctly.
What are the deadlines to file an employment claim in California?
They vary by claim. A CRD complaint under FEHA generally has to be filed within three years of the violation, and once you get a right-to-sue notice you usually have one year to file suit. EEOC charges are typically due within 300 days. Wage claims through the Labor Commissioner (DLSE) run on their own timelines. Miss a deadline and a strong case can disappear, so it’s worth confirming yours early.
Does Mercer Legal Group have an office in Glendale?
Our office is in Woodland Hills at 21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 103, and we represent employees throughout Glendale and the greater Los Angeles County area. We don’t have a separate Glendale location, but we handle Glendale workplace cases regularly and can meet by phone or video if that’s easier for you.
How much does it cost to hire a Glendale employment lawyer?
Most plaintiff-side employment work in California is contingency — you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover for you, and the first consultation is free. Litigation costs like filing fees and deposition transcripts are a separate question, and how they’re handled depends on your retainer agreement. We walk through all of it in plain English before you sign.
What should I bring to my first consultation?
Bring whatever documents you have: your offer letter or contract, pay stubs, any write-ups or performance reviews, termination or layoff paperwork, and emails or texts that relate to what happened. A short timeline of events and the names of anyone who witnessed them helps too. If you’re missing something, come anyway. We can work from what you have.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and may change over time, so you should consult a qualified Glendale employment attorney from Mercer Legal Group directly for advice regarding your specific situation. Past examples, case studies, or hypothetical scenarios are illustrative only and do not guarantee similar results.
Dealing with a specific workplace problem in Glendale? These pages go deeper on the claims we handle most for local employees:
