Bisnar Chase is a top-rated law firm with a dedicated team of Riverside employment law attorneys ready to handle a wide range of workplace violations cases.
At Bisnar Chase, we handle both employment and personal injury cases in Riverside. Our team is dedicated to protecting the rights of employees working across the Inland Empire area. We have an outstanding track record dealing with wage and hour cases, meal and rest breaks, overtime issues, harassment, wrongful termination, and more.
Why Choose Bisnar Chase?
You need an employment law firm that will go the extra mile for you. At Bisnar Chase, we get the results you deserve along with the support and guidance you need.
- We have a team working exclusively on employment cases and class actions.
- Our firm has a 99% success rate.
- We have been in business for more than four decades.
- Over the years, we have won over $1 billion for our clients.
- Bisnar Chase is an award-winning team handling cases across the Inland Empire and throughout California.
- Offering a free consultation – no win, no fee.
Too often, we see cases involving employers mistreating their employees, trying to force them to work without the compensation or breaks that they are legally entitled to.
If you think your employer might be violating your legal rights, contact Bisnar Chase today to speak with a top-rated expert free of charge. Call us at (951) 530-3711 or use our 24/7 website live chat.
Legal Resources for Employment Cases in Riverside
Employment Cases that We Handle
Our team is experienced in winning all kinds of employment cases. Some of the most common actions we handle include:
- Wage and Hour Violations: This is when employees are not fully paid for the hours they work or are forced to work hours beyond legal requirements.
- Meal and Rest Breaks: Employees must get a 30-minute lunch break within their first five hours of work. They must also get a 10-minute break for every four hours worked, and these breaks must be uninterrupted.
- Not Paid for Overtime: Any hours worked over the first 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week are subject to overtime pay. This is often a 1.5x rate of pay, though there are exceptions.
- Wrongful Termination: Firing a person for no reason does not count as wrongful termination because California is an at-will employment state. However, there are several illegal causes of dismissal, such as discrimination, retaliation, or contract violation.
- Harassment/Hostile Work Environment: Having a rude or obnoxious boss or co-worker is not actionable. However, you may have a case if you are subject to unwelcome conduct, discrimination, or abuse that creates an unreasonable environment or prevents you from working.
- Employee Class Actions: A class action employment lawsuit can be filed by a group of employees, rather than one individual. This is one avenue when multiple workers are all experiencing the same workplace violations.
Employment Laws Protecting Riverside Workers
The California Labor Code is a collection of laws that protects the rights and wellbeing of employees and sets a legal standard for employers. Below, we explore some of the key laws protecting employees in Riverside.
Protected Classes
Under California law, there are several protected classes. These characteristics cannot be used as the basis for action against that person. For example, one of the protected classes is disability. If a person is fired due to their disability, this would be a case of wrongful termination.
The most common protected classes include:
- Age
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex/gender
- Sexual orientation
- Marital status
- A medical condition
- Military or veteran status
- National origin
- Ancestry
- Disability
- Genetic information
Workers are also protected against retaliation for requesting family care leave, requesting time off for a serious health condition, pregnancy disability leave, or for reporting wrongdoing.
Other Important Employment Laws
Some of the other most important laws under the California Labor Code include:
Labor Code Section 510 – Overtime Pay
The standard workday is 8 hours, and a standard work week is 40 hours. Any hours beyond those must be compensated at a higher rate of pay. Initially, the rate rises to 1.5x pay. If an employee works more than 12 hours in a day, the rate increases to 2x. Exceptions can be made for alternative work schedules. Employers are obligated to provide overtime pay.
Labor Code Section 512 – Meal Periods and Rest Breaks
Employees must receive an uninterrupted lunch break of at least 30 minutes for every five hours worked and a 10-minute break for every four hours worked.
Labor Code Section 2802 – Expense Reimbursements
Employers must reimburse their workers for all business expenses linked to their jobs. This can cover a range of expenses, from the use of a personal vehicle to personal devices, internet, uniforms, or tools.
How a Lawyer Will Help
The right Riverside employment attorney will help you navigate even the most complex cases and secure the compensation you deserve.
Our team at Bisnar Chase will:
- Thoroughly evaluate your case and determine whether we can pursue legal action.
- Complete all filing and observe court deadlines.
- Investigate and build a body of evidence to prove your claim, advancing any costs such as expert witnesses and filing fees.
- Conduct all negotiations and mediations with the defense team.
- Secure a fair settlement amount for you.
- We will go to trial and argue your case in the courtroom when necessary.
- If anything is required of you, such as a deposition appearance, we will work with you to ensure you are comfortable with the process.
Our firm has the resources and experience to take on major companies and corporations. We take pride in holding employers of all types and sizes accountable for any workplace violations or wrongdoing.
When you hire Bisnar Chase, you can sit back and let us get to work on your case, safe in the knowledge that it is in safe hands.
Contact the best Riverside employment lawyers near you for the best chance of success. Bisnar Chase is an award-winning employment law firm with a track record of success. Trust us to maximize the value of your case.
Documenting Workplace Violations
If you believe your employer is mistreating you or violating California workplace laws, we are here to ensure you are compensated. The most important steps you can take are:
- Document everything.
- Contact Bisnar Chase.
Ensuring you have evidence to back up your claims is essential. It can be the difference between a successful claim and a non-starter.
What Should You Document?
You should save anything that relates to the unfair or illegal conditions at your work. This could include:
- Texts, emails, Slack, and other messages: Save any correspondence with your employer. For example, an email exchange asking you to work overtime, texts with work-related issues during breaks, or Slack messages denying expense reimbursement requests.
- Paystubs and tax documents: Ensure you have a record of your payment and hours worked.
- Your contract: It can be helpful to save a copy of your contract. This presents the terms of your employment in black and white.
- Performance evaluations: Keep a record of any scheduled reviews or evaluations. This is especially helpful when the reviews do not match later claims made by the employer.
- Disciplinary documents: If you are written up, given a warning, or are subject to formal disciplinary proceedings, request a copy of the company’s report and write down your own view of what happened.
In many cases, your paystubs and internal communications, including emails, texts, and phone logs, are the best evidence of workplace violations.
Keep anything you think might be relevant to the case and contact Bisnar Chase as soon as possible. Our team will assess your case and identify any other potentially relevant documentation that could help your case.
No Win No Fee: No Out-of-Pocket Costs
At Bisnar Chase, we work on a contingency basis. That means that you pay nothing up front, and our payment depends on us winning your case.
We advance the money it takes to win a legal case, paying for everything from filing fees to setting up depositions. This means that you have no out-of-pocket costs related to your legal action.
When we win, a percentage of the settlement or verdict goes to our firm to cover our expenses. The rate is typically 33.3%, which is a standard fee in California. The rest of the money goes to you. If we don’t win, you don’t pay us anything.
Many people are nervous about filing a legal claim against a company with significant resources and a strong legal team. But our no win, no fee promise ensures that everyone can have an outstanding legal team in their corner.
Common Misconceptions with Employment Cases
Many people reach out to us believing that they have a case. But there are some common misconceptions about what constitutes a workplace violation.
These misconceptions go both ways. In some instances, people think they have been wronged, but it turns out not to have been an illegal act on the employer’s part. In other cases, workers do not realize their employer has done something wrong.
At-will employment:
California is an at-will employment state. That means the worker or the employer can terminate employment without notice or cause. As a result, many people think that there is never a case for wrongful termination. However, they could still have a case if the termination was linked to a protected class.
Hostile work environment:
One of the most common misconceptions is that workers believe they are in a hostile work environment just because they do not get along with their co-workers. But there is a higher threshold than that. For a successful case, we need to show that the workplace behavior crossed a line, impacted work, or was linked to a protected class.
Not being asked to work overtime:
Some people might think that they are only owed overtime pay if they are officially asked to work beyond normal hours. But that is not true. Employers are required to pay overtime if they ask, imply, or even knowingly allow you to work overtime, which includes off-the-clock work. This is when you answer calls or emails outside your scheduled hours, work through breaks, or complete tasks before you clock in or after you clock out.
Employers can always contact you:
Most workers feel like they should always be available to their bosses. It’s normal for people to say: “Call me if you need anything.” But if you are fielding calls or texts from your employer and performing duties after hours, they should be paying you overtime. They should also not contact you during your lunch, rest breaks, or on planned vacation time.
Incomplete payment is not a big deal:
A lot of people try to go above and beyond at work, and there is a tendency to complete off-the-clock work without compensation. But to be compliant with California laws, employers must compensate you for ALL time spent working.
Undocumented Workers Cannot File Employment Claims:
Most undocumented workers do not want to file claims against their employers because they don’t know their rights, and don’t want their status to be weaponized against them. But you still have rights as an undocumented worker. Contact Bisnar Chase to make sure those rights are protected. Remember: by contacting us, you are not committing to anything. We will start by talking through your circumstances before deciding how best to proceed.
The Legal Process
Most people have little to no experience going through legal claims, and don’t know what to expect. That can make the whole process daunting, but don’t worry.
Our team is highly experienced, having handled thousands of cases over several decades. We are here to provide expert guidance and superior representation. We will let you know how the process will go and what to expect at every turn.
How Long Will It Take?
The time it takes us to resolve a case will depend on the circumstances of the case. For example, if the defendant employer admits fault, a resolution could be reached within a matter of months.
However, if wrongdoing is denied and the case progresses beyond settlement negotiations to a trial or is subject to an appeal, it will require a lot of extra preparation, resources, and time. In these cases, it might take years to fully resolve.
Settlement vs. Trial
The majority of cases are settled before they ever reach a trial. This is because negotiating an out-of-court settlement is cheaper and comes with much less risk for both sides. You know the dollar amount you’re going to get, and you can control the outcome.
When you prepare for trial, it takes longer and requires far greater resources. You also never know which way a jury is going to go, even if you lay out a great case.
However, there are times when the two sides will fundamentally disagree on the facts of the case, and cannot meet on a fair settlement. When this happens, filing with the courts and preparing for trial is often the only option to get the justice you deserve. It should be noted that a trial also carries the potential for greater compensation.
At Bisnar Chase, we will always consult with you on the best direction to take, and make the best decision for your case using our decades of experience.
What is Your Employment Case Worth?
Every case is different, and the value of your claim will depend on the actions of your employer, the damages you have sustained, and the timeframe of the infractions, among other factors.
Your compensation could include:
- Back pay and other lost wages
- Unpaid wages and compensation for lost bonuses
- Future earnings
- Penalties against the employer
- Damages for emotional distress
We will fight tirelessly to maximize your compensation and ensure you are made whole.
Contact the Best Riverside Employment Lawyers Near You
Bisnar Chase is a top-rated employment law firm with a track record of success. While we handle cases across California, we have an office in Riverside and take pride in providing help and expertise to workers in our community.
Our numbers speak for themselves. We have a 99% success rate with more than $1 billion recovered for our clients. But we also offer superior client representation with a personal touch. Our team has both English and Spanish speakers to ensure everyone gets the support and justice they deserve.
Call our Riverside employment attorneys at (951) 530-3711 to speak to a member of our team today. You can also send us an email or use our 24/7 website live chat. We are here to help and look forward to hearing from you.
Ian Silvers
Ian Silvers is a partner and trial lawyer at Bisnar Chase, specializing in wage and hour violations and workplace violation class actions. He is dedicated to supporting workers and fighting for employee rights in California.
Serving California Since 1978
Bisnar Chase is a top-rated personal injury law firm with a national reputation. The firm has been in business since 1978 and has represented thousands of clients. Based in Newport Beach and with offices across California, Bisnar Chase has recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts, emphasizing superior client representation above all.
