![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.californialaborlaw.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Idutko.jpg\" "\\"Photo")
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Gone are the days of an eye for an eye; if you work in California you have rights at work, and if they are violated you have the right to speak up without being punished or fired for it.<\/p>\n
The laws laid out in the Labor Code of California were carefully constructed and continue to evolve with the workplace, but one thing holds true, you have the right to be paid fairly, work reasonable hours, and not be mistreated by your boss or coworkers. Though the exact definitions of these laws have changed over the years, we know that we are better off with the labor code and its enforcing bodies. Unfortunately, there have always been and probably always will be those who violate these laws, and sadly many of the violations go unanswered for because too many employees are afraid to speak up about the abuses in the workplace.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to see how these issues can start small and escalate over time. As the old saying goes, \u201cGive them an inch, they\u2019ll take a mile.\u201d Take for example a boss who grabs you on the way out after you have clocked out and asks you to help with one last thing. The next thing you know you have new duties that you are expected to perform each shift after you\u2019ve already finished your shift, and maybe no one tells you directly that you have to clock out, but it has been made pretty clear that no one gets overtime and you had better not make waves because everyone is replaceable.<\/p>\n
One of the ugly downsides to a tough job market has been the willingness of employers to misuse employees who are afraid of losing their jobs. It\u2019s true that the field is flooded with applicants for each opening, but this should not spell easy pickings for unscrupulous employers. You still have rights at work and in fact even more than you had a year ago, as new laws were passed this year providing further protection against discrimination, harassment and retaliation for filing any complaint.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the latter is the direct result of the resent economy\u2019s effect on the workplace. As employers were issuing mass layoffs and dumping these workloads on the \u201clucky few\u201d who avoided the ax, the pressure to \u201cput up and shut up\u201d has been a huge factor in dissatisfaction among employees.<\/p>\n