Monterey County

Located on the Central Coast, with a county seat of Salinas, Monterey County has a population of around 439,035. Along its border is the southern Monterey Bay. Its area is 3771 square miles; around 3281 square miles of that is land. The county is the third largest agricultural one in the state; agriculture provides the majority of jobs around the country. Employers in the area include Al Pak Labor, Azcona Harvesting, Bud of California, Filipino American Community Club, Grows Co., Mann Packing Co Inc., Hilltown Packing Co Inc. and Monterey Bay Aquarium. If you are faced with a dispute involving minimum wage, overtime, discrimination, harassment, retaliation or whistleblowing, give the trustworthy Monterey County employment lawyers of Calderone Law Firm a call. Our principal Vincent Calderone, who has many years of experience, may be able to represent you.

Federal, state, and local laws dictate the terms of minimum compensation for your work. Generally, employment law most protects nonexempt employees, who are workers that typically don’t have much control over the work they do or how they do it. These workers must be paid minimum wage, overtime, and be given certain meal and rest breaks. In most cases, nonexempt workers are paid per hour. While exempt employees and gig workers exert greater control over the job they do, they are not protected by wage and hour rules. However, your employer cannot simply misclassify you as an exempt employee or independent contractor to avoid paying you according to wage and hour laws, or to avoid procuring workers’ compensation that will protect you in case of job injuries. You should seek counsel if you suspect you may have been misclassified. Moreover, it can be crucial to talk to an attorney with class action experience, since the damages in wage and hour cases may be small. In a class action wage and hour lawsuit, employees that are similarly situated and anticipate smaller amounts of damages to be awarded band together to sue as a class or group.

Often the only people aware of a business’s misconduct, fraud, or other illegal activity are employees. If you observed your employer submit a false claim or commit a criminal or regulatory violation, you may be nervous to become a whistleblower and come forward to officials. However, several federal and state laws protect whistleblowers against retaliation. Under California Labor Code section 1102.5, your employer cannot retaliate against you when you report what you reasonably believe is misconduct or a legal violation to an official. California laws also provide protection if you reported: your employer’s wage and hour violations to the Labor Commissioner, your employer’s economically wasteful or incompetent activity to the California State Auditor if you are a public employee, or your employer’s suspected criminal activity to a law enforcement agency. Retaliation can take many forms—from wrongful termination to demotion or failure to promote.

Federal, state, and local laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace. Discrimination occurs whenever a business takes an adverse action against an employee due to a protected trait. The California Fair Employment Housing Act, the state antidiscrimination law, protects a wide range of traits including sex, ancestry, race, gender identity, religion and medical condition. Employees who work for businesses with at least 5 employees are protected against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under FEHA.

The attorneys you choose can have a big impact on your employment law dispute. We handle the full range of employment law matters, including wage and hour, employment discrimination, and whistleblower retaliation. Call the Monterey County lawyers of Calderone Law Firm to determine your legal options for relief. We are strong advocates for workers in need of sharp strategies and representation to obtain the best possible legal outcome to their case. Fill out our online form or call us at (424) 348-8290 for a free initial consultation.