Workplace Retaliation Archives

Fired While on Medical Leave in California? What to Know About Return to Work Dates

by Matthew Ruggles | Dec 31, 2025 | Disability Discrimination, Interactive Process, Reasonable Accommodation, Workplace Retaliation, Wrongful Termination

How Indefinite Return-to-Work Dates Can Make or Break a California Disability Discrimination Claim If you were fired while on medical leave in California, you may be wondering whether what happened to you was disability discrimination under state law. That is a fair...

My Boss Touched Me Inappropriately at a Work Event: What Should I Do First Under California Law?

by Matthew Ruggles | Dec 24, 2025 | Hostile Work Environment, Sexual Harassment, Workplace Harassment, Workplace Retaliation

If your boss touched you inappropriately at a work event, it can be shocking, confusing, and deeply unsettling. Many women question whether it “counts” because it happened at a holiday party, conference, offsite retreat, client dinner, or team happy hour. Under...

Severance Negotiation for California Healthcare Executives

by Matthew Ruggles | Nov 30, 2025 | Severance Agreements, Unpaid Wages, Workplace Retaliation, Wrongful Termination

If you are a California healthcare executive and you were just handed a severance agreement, you already know how fast the ground can shift under you. One day you are leading a hospital division, overseeing clinical operations, managing compliance risk, or guiding a...

California Severance Negotiation Lawyer: How We Increased a Two-Week Offer to Six Months of Pay

by Matthew Ruggles | Nov 18, 2025 | Severance Agreements, Workplace Discrimination, Workplace Retaliation, Wrongful Termination

If you’ve just been handed a lowball severance offer and you’re wondering whether there’s any realistic way to increase it, you’re not imagining the problem. Employers don’t hand out more severance out of goodwill. They only increase an offer when they’re worried...

Can I Challenge an Arbitration Agreement in California After I’ve Signed It?

by Matthew Ruggles | Nov 12, 2025 | Unpaid Wages, Workplace Discrimination, Workplace Retaliation, Wrongful Termination

Many California employees wonder whether they can challenge an arbitration agreement in California after they’ve signed it. Employers often require workers to sign these agreements when they start a job (or even months later) stating that any disputes must go to...

Proactive Severance Negotiation in California: 13 Mistakes to Avoid

by Matthew Ruggles | Nov 3, 2025 | Severance Agreements, Workplace Discrimination, Workplace Retaliation, Wrongful Termination

Most executives sense their role is unstable long before termination, but most wait too long to act. Executives convince themselves that the reorganization will settle or that loyalty will be rewarded. By the time they recognize the signs (or are actually terminated),...