Law Office of Jessica Christensen

Most clients have three questions: What kind of claim do I have? How much will it cost? And, how do I get started? While there’s not necessarily a quick and dirty answer to all of these questions, the links below provide some information to begin with.

WHAT KIND OF CLAIM DO I HAVE?

• Wage and Hour/Overtime
• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Retaliation
• Wrongful Termination
• Family and Medical Leave
• Defamation
• Contract Disputes

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

WHAT KIND OF CLAIM DO I HAVE?

WAGE AND HOUR/OVERTIME
In California, “non-exempt” employees are entitled to receive wages for all hours worked, and overtime premiums when they work over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Often, employers misclassify their employees, treating them as “salaried” and therefore exempt from the state’s overtime compensation requirements. California employees are also entitled to receive all vacation benefits earned, to meal and rest periods, reporting and make-up time pay, and to be reimbursed for all employment related expenses.

If you believe that you have not received all wages and benefits earned, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination occurs when you are treated differently than other “similarly situated” employees (employees with comparable positions or job duties) because of certain characteristics. Discrimination can also occur when an employer’s conduct disproportionately affects a particular group of employees. California employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, political party affiliation, marital status, and disability (including pregnancy).

If you believe that you have suffered workplace discrimination, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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HARASSMENT
When used in the law, the term “harassment” means that a person is subjected to treatment or a course of conduct that is threatening or disturbing, and goes outside the boundaries of what society will accept in the workplace. Sexual harassment refers to harassment that is of a sexual nature, and can be suffered by both women and men.

If you believe that you have been harassed at work, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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RETALIATION
Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who file claims against their employers, or who are witnesses for other employees related to their claims. Employees are protected from retaliation for filing discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and workers’ compensation claims, as well as for blowing the whistle on their employers or requesting family or medical leave. Public employees are also protected from retaliation for filing internal agency complaints.

If you believe that you have been subjected to retaliation, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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WRONGFUL TERMINATION
An employee is wrongfully terminated if the reasons behind the termination violate public policy. Public policies that can underlie a wrongful termination include, but are not limited to, an employee making a complaint, blowing the whistle on employer misconduct, or filing a workers’ compensation or leave claim.

If you have been terminated and believe that your termination violates public policy, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
Both state and federal law require employers to provide employee with leave to deal with family and medical problems. Employers often look for ways to deny employees leave benefits, or to keep employees from returning to work following a leave. Sometimes employers retaliate against employees for requesting or taking legally permitted leaves.

If you have been denied leave, reinstatement following a leave, or have suffered retaliation related to a leave, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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DEFAMATION
Defamation is a communication of some kind that makes a false statement, placing you in a false light or subjecting you to unwarranted negative views. Employers who make false statements about their employees may be liable for defamation.

If you believe that you have been defamed, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

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CONTRACT DISPUTES
Every employee-employer relationship is a contractual relationship. Contract disputes come up in connection with wages, salary agreements, executive compensation, and severance agreements.

If you have you believe you have a contract related claim, please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

For employees: I recognize that the biggest hurdle to bringing your claim is often the cost of hiring an attorney. I strive to resolve my clients’ claims aggressively, but also economically, and will seek to achieve early settlement whenever possible. Financial arrangements are negotiated on a client-by-client basis, and can include hourly, contingency and flat-rate fee agreements.

For businesses: Many businesses find themselves the targets of litigation because, in an effort to be frugal, they didn’t seek compliance and training counseling. I offer my business clients very competitive rates for counseling and training, and will negotiate flat rate and package agreements where appropriate.

Whatever your financial circumstances, I offer a free initial consultation to assess your claims and discuss the likely cost of representation. Please visit the Contact Me page to receive a free initial consultation

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

The process begins very simply with a conversation. Either by calling or emailing, you tell me your story and we go from there. You do not need to put money down or commit to anything up front. Please visit the Contact Me page to get things rolling.