Fresno Employment Lawyers Representing First Responders
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$2 Billion
in Personal Injury Results
$150 Million
in Employment Law Results
for First Responders
Experienced representation for first responders in Fresno and across California
When emergencies happen; police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and many other first responders are ready to protect us and help us. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, our job is to protect your job. We have 35 years of experience and nearly 20 employment lawyers who fight for your job and the financial compensation you deserve. Our Fresno employment lawyers protect first responders by filing discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, executive compensation, and other employee rights claims. We’ve obtained more than $150 million in recoveries for first responders across California. You have the right to hold employers accountable when they violate your rights. Call us now.
Quick questions
- When can a first responder file an employment claim in Fresno?
- What are the eligibility requirements for filing a discrimination claim in Fresno?
- What are the eligibility requirements for filing a harassment claim in Fresno?
- What are the eligibility requirements for filing a retaliation claim in Fresno?
- Which first responders do your Fresno employment lawyers represent?
- What laws protect first responders?
- How do you fight for first responders in Fresno?
- How much is my first responder employment claim worth?
- Do you have a Fresno first responder employment lawyer near me?
When can first responders file an employee rights claim in Fresno?
John McNicholas, Patrick, Matthew McNicholas, and our other family of lawyers represent first responders in a full range of employee rights matters, including the following:
Discrimination and harassment claims
Our lawyers fight for workers who belong to a “protected class” whose job is adversely affected because of their membership in that class or who suffer workplace harassment because of their class. We also file claims if workers suffer sexual harassment at work.
Retaliation claims
Our Fresno employment attorneys hold police departments, fire departments, and other employers accountable when they try to punish workers who assert their legal rights.
Executive compensation claims
Our Fresno employment lawyers file breach of contract claims when police departments, fire departments, and other employers fail to pay your salary, insurance benefits, retirement benefits, severance pay, and other compensation your employment contract requires.
Wage and hour claims
Our Fresno employment lawyers hold the employers of first responders accountable when they fail to pay their workers all they’ve earned at or near the time they’ve earned it.
Wrongful termination lawsuits
We demand that employers reinstate employees and pay them all the compensation they’ve earned if the employer fires them due to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, violations of federal laws or state laws, violations of collective bargaining or executive compensation agreements, or for other reasons.
What are the eligibility requirements for filing a discrimination claim in Fresno?
There are two core requirements for filing a discrimination lawsuit. You must be a member of a “protected class” and your employer must negatively affect your employment in some way. Generally, employers, independent contractors, and volunteers can file discrimination claims subject to certain conditions, such as the number of employees in the organization.
Protected class status
Title VII of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964, other federal discrimination laws, and the Fair Employment and Housing Act protect employees, contractors, and volunteers who are judged based on any of the following identity characteristics:
- National origin, ancestry, race, or color
- Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and pregnancy
- A physical disability
- Religion or creed
- A medical condition or genetic information
- Age – being 40 or older
- Marital status
- Military or veteran status
Adverse employment conditions
The employers of first responders can adversely affect your employment by:
- Terminating your employment or suspending your job
- Denying you a promotion or a raise that you deserve
- Failing to review your job application
- Failing to give you the education and training you need for advancement
- Transferring you to a less desirable location
- Giving other workers who are not members of a protected class better job tasks
- Failing to give a disabled or pregnant worker the reasonable workplace accommodations they need
- Negatively affecting your job in another way
What are the eligibility requirements for filing a harassment claim in Fresno?
First responders often need to work as a team. They need to trust and rely on each other. Our employment lawyers hold police departments, fire departments, and other employers of first responders accountable when they harass their employees.
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and federal harassment laws make it illegal to harass employees and contractors who belong to a protected class from the following types of harassment:
- Hostile workplace environment harassment. Employers create a hostile workplace environment when workers cannot do their job or are too upset to work because of offensive verbal conduct (such as offensive jokes, postings, conversations, images, and messages) and offensive physical conduct (such as blocking your movements).
- Sexual harassment. Sexually offensive conduct may create a hostile workplace environment if the employer engages in or permits verbal or physical conduct that is sexually offensive. Offensive sexual conduct includes nonconsensual sexual contact, sexual advances, sexual conversations, inappropriate photos, leering, and other types of offensive sexual discussions or actions.
Quid pro quo harassment. Quid pro quo harassment involves an employer or someone who can determine your job conditions, who conditions your employment on sexual favors or sexual advances.
What are the eligibility requirements for filing a retaliation claim in Fresno?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, we hold the employers of first responders accountable if they try to intimidate you or punish you for asserting your legal rights. These rights include:
- Filing a discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claim
- Filing a worker’s compensation claim
- Requesting family medical leave
- Disclosing fraud
- Holding employers accountable for violating your contract rights
- Requesting reasonable accommodations if you have a disability or are pregnant
- Asserting other legal rights
Which first responders do your Fresno employment lawyers represent?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we represent all types of first responders, among others:
- Law enforcement officers. These include police officers, sheriff’s deputies, SWAT officers, bomb squad technicians, and other law enforcement employees and contractors
- Firefighters
- Correction officers
- Court officials
- Paramedics, EMTs, and medevac operators
- Public works employees and park rangers;
- Emergency telecommunications workers;
- School officers;
- And other first responders.
What laws protect first responders?
Our Fresno first responder employment lawyers understand the federal and state laws that protect first responders when employers violate their rights. These laws include:
California laws:
- California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
- California Family Rights Act
- California False Claims Act
Federal laws:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- The Family and Medical Leave Act
- The Equal Pay Act which requires that women and men receive equal pay for equal work
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- The Federal False Claims Act
- The Trauma Treatment Act
- The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
We also hold employers to their duty to honor their collective bargaining agreements and executive compensation agreements.
How do you fight for first responders in Fresno?
Our Fresno employment rights lawyers represent first responders at the following agencies and courts:
Agencies:
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- The California Civil Rights Department (CCRD)
Courts:
- The Superior Court of California, Fresno
- The US District Court for the Central District of California
We file claims against the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, the Fresno Fire Department, and other Fresno employers of first responders.
Our respected employment lawyers can review your employment status and duties, what happened, which rights your employer violated, what remedies you have, and what damages you deserve. We work with professionals in your type of first responder service and we also work with financial professionals, vocational professionals, and discrimination professionals when necessary. Our team uses the formal discovery process to question your employer, coworkers, and anyone with knowledge of your work and your claim.
We also use the discovery process to obtain written documents of your employment contracts, performance reviews, and all other relevant information.
Our Fresno first responder lawyers work with employment agencies to attempt to resolve your complaints. If you cannot resolve your complaints through the appropriate state or federal agency, we will persuasively argue your case in front of a Fresno County judge and jury. Our lawyers have tried hundreds of cases before juries.
How much is my first responder employment claim worth?
Employers who violate the employment laws and contracts that protect you should compensate you in full for all your financial and personal damages. At McNicholas & McNicholas LLP, we demand compensation for the following past/back and future/front damages, depending on your type of employment claim:
- Financial damages. These include all lost wages, bonuses, overtime salary, health benefits, retirement benefits, seniority, accrued leave, accrued vacation, and other benefits. We also demand financial compliance with collective bargaining agreements and executive compensation agreements.
- Personal damages. Our Fresno employment lawyers demand compensation, to the extent the law authorizes, for your emotional trauma and any damage to your professional reputation.
- Additional damages. We demand payment for your attorney fees, statutory damages, and punitive damages.
- Injunctive relief. Our Fresno first responder lawyers seek judicial orders to reinstate you, consider your application fairly, promote you, provide reasonable workplace accommodations, and enter other court orders to obtain justice.
Do you have a Fresno first responder employment lawyer near me?
McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP meets with clients at our office located at 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400, Los Angeles, 90024. We also discuss cases remotely by phone and through Zoom, FaceTime, and other online video platforms.
Our Fresno employment lawyers work to protect those who protect us.
Speak with our accomplished Fresno first responder employment lawyers now
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we’ve earned the trust and respect of many other first responders for our record of success and our dedication to our clients. Our family of lawyers understands the defenses and arguments employers will make to try to deny or limit your claim. Call us or fill out our contact form today to schedule a free consultation.
List of agencies we are suing or have sued
- Berkeley Fire/CoB (Non-LEO)
- Berkeley PD
- Chula Vista PD
- City of Richmond (Non-LEO/Employment)
- Contra Costa Sheriff (Non-LEO/Employment)
- Culver City PD (Non-LEO)
- El Monte PD
- El Segundo PD
- Fremont PD
- Huntington Beach PD
- LA Co Sheriff
- LAFD
- LAPD
- LAWA
- Palo Alto PD
- Pomona PD
- Redondo Beach PD
- Riverside PD
- San Diego PD
- San Joaquin County Sheriff
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff
- Shasta County Sheriff
- Ukiah PD
- Walnut Creek PD
- Willits PD