Legal Question in Employment Law in California

I live in CA, working as an office manager for small business (5-7 empolyees) & have been there over 7 years. Notified boss of my pregnancy at 3 months, to which his reaction was unfavorable. By the next month he hired a full-time employee to be trained during my leave. We discussed & agreed that I would be returning to work after the birth however, since then he has begun to ignore me while requiring that I train other employees to do what I do. On friday he called me into his office handing me a note stating there was no longer enough work for me to be kept on full-time, offering me a 3 hour max workday. I am now 7 months pregnant & unsure of my rights. Is it legal for him to cut my hours & essentially demote me since he's instructed me to hand over my duties?


Asked on 7/26/09, 8:04 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

If and when you are denied legally protected leave, or are illegally discriminated or retaliated against, then you can consider legal claims.

If your CA employer has at least 5 employees, they can not fire you because you are pregnant, must allow you to continue working as long as you are able, must 'reasonably' accommodate your disability, and must allow up to 4 months of unpaid pregnancy leave under FEHA.

If your CA employer has at least 50 employees, and you are employed for at least 12 months, have at least 1,250 hours worked in the 12 months prior to the leave, then you would be eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA/CFRA maternity/medical leave when you are unable to work [or must care for an immediate family member] because of a ?serious health condition?, continuation of group health benefits, restoration to the same or an equivalent job upon return to work, with accrued benefits. The leave may be taken on reasonable intermittent basis if that need is properly documented by your medical provider.

If you qualify for both, you get both. If you are out longer than those guarantees, they can fire you.

Upon termination from employment, you are entitled to COBRA conversion of your medical benefits [if any], allowing you to pay for and retain your insurance coverage.

Now, if they violated those rules, contact me for the legal help you'll need. I'll be happy to do so. I've been doing these cases for over 20 years.

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Answered on 7/26/09, 10:47 pm


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