- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
Reviewed by Simon Elliot Moshkovich, Esq. (CA Bar #323584) | Last reviewed: June 18, 2026
Long Beach workers terminated for an unlawful reason, denied wages they earned, ignored after reporting harassment, or punished for raising a concern may have a claim under California employment law. Mercer Legal Group represents Long Beach employees and other Los Angeles County workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, leave, and wage and hour disputes. We serve Long Beach from our Woodland Hills office at 21031 Ventura Blvd, Suite 103, and handle Los Angeles County cases in state and federal court.
Most matters run on contingency — fees come out of any recovery, not your pocket. Calls answered 24/7. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL. Initial reviews are free.
Call (818) 783-0500 or submit the contact form for a free consultation with an Employment Attorney in Long Beach.
Long Beach workers span port and logistics, aerospace, healthcare (MemorialCare, Miller Children’s), oil and gas, higher education (CSULB, LBCC), and hospitality. The disputes we see cluster around wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, leave interference, and unpaid wages — and California protections are stronger than the federal floor in nearly every category. Not sure if your situation calls for a lawyer? See do I need an employment lawyer.
Wage cases are some of the most common Long Beach matters, especially out of port, warehouse, and logistics employers where schedule pressures create chronic compliance problems.
Statute of limitations: 3 years under the Labor Code, 4 with a paired §17200 claim.
FEHA recognizes quid pro quo and hostile work environment harassment. The employer is strictly liable for supervisor harassment and negligent-standard liable for coworker harassment. Under AB 9, an employee has 3 years to file a CRD charge and 1 year after the right-to-sue letter to file suit. For the full timing breakdown, see reporting sexual harassment timelines.
Most California discrimination cases run through the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework adopted in Guz v. Bechtel. The employee makes a prima facie showing, the employer offers a non-discriminatory reason, and the employee shows that reason is pretext.
Prima facie elements:
Evidence that supports a Long Beach claim:
Procedural path: CRD charge within 3 years, request a right-to-sue letter, then file in California superior court within 1 year of the letter. See how to prove employment discrimination in California.
| Type | Legal Definition | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Race / Color / National Origin | Adverse action based on race, color, ancestry, or national origin (§12940(a)) | Refusal to hire or promote, termination after racial slurs, English-only rules without business necessity |
| Sex / Gender / Gender Identity | Adverse action based on sex, gender, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy | Failure to promote women, pregnancy-related termination, sex-based pay gap |
| Age (40+) | Adverse action against employees 40 and over | RIF that disproportionately removes older workers, “fresh blood” comments |
| Disability / Medical Condition | Adverse action based on a physical or mental disability; failure to engage in interactive process or accommodate | Termination after disclosing a condition, denial of accommodation |
| Religion | Adverse action based on religious creed or practice; failure to accommodate | Refusal to schedule around Sabbath, dress code conflicts |
| Sexual Orientation | Adverse action based on actual or perceived sexual orientation | Termination after coming out, denial of partner benefits, hostile work environment |
See our coverage of employment discrimination attorneys for litigation-phase detail.
Long Beach employees have two overlapping leave protections: federal FMLA and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA, Gov. Code §12945.2). Both provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per 12-month period.
Qualifying reasons for leave:
Common violations: failure to designate leave, demotion on return, denying restoration, treating leave as a negative performance factor, retaliation for requesting leave. See why you need an FMLA attorney in California.
Retaliation is among the most common — and often the strongest — employment claims filed in California. The logic is straightforward: protected activity, employer awareness, adverse action shortly after.
Statutory sources:
Available damages: back pay, front pay, emotional distress, punitive damages, reinstatement, attorney fees under FEHA and §1102.5, and statutory civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation per employee under §1102.5. See EEOC retaliation claims for the federal counterpart.
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.
Long Beach cases turn on California-specific statutes, short administrative deadlines, and an evidence record the employer controls. A California employment attorney can:
Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Intake in English and Spanish. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL. Most matters on contingency — no fee unless we recover.
Mercer Legal Group offers free initial consultations to Long Beach employees and other California workers. Calls answered 24/7. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL. Most cases on contingency — no fee unless we recover.
Call (818) 783-0500 or submit the contact form for a free consultation with an Employment Attorney in Long Beach.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its specific facts. This page is informational and not legal advice. Reviewing it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Mercer Legal Group.
Common questions from Long Beach employees about employment law claims and the legal process in California. Calls answered 24/7 — SE HABLA ESPAÑOL.
An employment attorney represents workers under California and federal employment law. That includes reviewing personnel files and pay records, sending demand letters, filing administrative charges with the CRD and EEOC, negotiating settlements, and litigating in California superior court or U.S. District Court. Long Beach attorneys handle wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower claims, wage and hour disputes, leave violations, and severance review.
Under AB 9, a FEHA discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claim must be filed as a CRD charge within 3 years of the act. Once the agency issues a right-to-sue letter, the employee has 1 year to file in California superior court. If the claim also runs under federal Title VII, the EEOC charge deadline is 300 days when filed through a state agency.
Yes, if the termination violated a California statute, a fundamental public policy, or an employment contract. Recovery may include back pay and front pay, emotional distress damages, punitive damages where the employer acted with malice or fraud, and attorney fees under FEHA. The amount depends on the facts — earnings at termination, length of unemployment, severity of conduct, and strength of evidence.
Eligible California employees have up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per 12-month period for a serious health condition, to bond with a new child, or to care for a covered family member. FMLA applies to employers with 50+ employees; CFRA applies to 5+ and defines family more broadly. Pregnancy disability leave adds up to 4 months. The employer can’t retaliate for protected leave.
A California retaliation claim generally requires: (1) protected activity, (2) employer knowledge, and (3) adverse action causally connected to the activity. Common evidence is temporal proximity, comparator evidence, and inconsistencies in the employer’s stated reason. Under Labor Code §1102.6, once the employee shows the protected activity was a contributing factor, the burden shifts to the employer to prove by clear and convincing evidence it would have acted for legitimate, independent reasons.
Dealing with a specific workplace problem in Long Beach? These pages go deeper on the claims we handle most for local employees:
