Workplace Discrimination Attorney in Bakersfield
We stand up to employers who discriminate, retaliate, or violate your rights—ensuring you get justice, protection, and the compensation you deserve.
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Only Pay When You Win
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Discrimination Has No Place at Work
Your career should be defined by your skills, your work ethic, and your dedication—not by the color of your skin, your gender, your age, or your beliefs. The right to a workplace free from discrimination is not just an ideal; it is a fundamental civil right protected by state and federal law. No one should be denied a job, passed over for a promotion, or paid less because of who they are.
Yet, workplace discrimination remains a painful and pervasive reality for countless workers in Bakersfield. It is a subtle poison that can manifest as a "gut feeling" that something is wrong, a pattern of unfair treatment, or a single, devastating decision that alters the course of your career. It can leave you feeling devalued, angry, and questioning your own worth.
At Marquee Advocacy Group, we see you, we hear you, and we are here to fight for you. We are not just lawyers; we are fierce advocates for equality and justice. Our Bakersfield Workplace Discrimination Attorneys are committed to dismantling discriminatory practices one case at a time. We empower our clients to stand up to employers who make decisions based on prejudice instead of merit. Your identity is your strength, not a liability. If you have been treated unfairly, we will be the unwavering legal force you need to demand accountability and justice.
YOU DON’T PAY UNLESS WE WIN
What is Workplace Discrimination?
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employer takes an adverse employment action against an employee or job applicant based on their membership in a "protected class." It’s about being treated differently—and worse—because of a characteristic that has nothing to do with your ability to do the job.
Race or Color
FEHA protects individuals from discrimination based on race, skin color, or traits historically linked to race—such as hair texture or protective hairstyles covered under the CROWN Act.
Ancestry or National Origin
Employers cannot treat you unfairly because of your ancestry, birthplace, ethnicity, or language, including any language rules that are not truly required for business needs.
Age (40 and Over)
Workers aged 40 and above are protected from being pushed out, overlooked, or replaced simply because an employer prefers a younger workforce.
Religion
FEHA requires employers to respect your religious beliefs, including dress, grooming practices, and observances, unless accommodation would cause undue hardship.
Disability
Physical, mental, and developmental disabilities are protected, and employers must provide reasonable accommodations so you can perform your job successfully.
Sex / Gender
This includes protections related to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding needs, and other gender-related medical conditions that employers must accommodate.
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression
FEHA prohibits bias based on who you love, how you identify, or how you express your gender—ensuring full protection for LGBTQ+ employees.
Marital Status
Employers cannot make employment decisions based on whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed.
Military or Veteran Status
Those who serve or have served in the military are protected from discrimination tied to their service history or military obligations.
A crucial development in California law, effective January 1, 2025, clarifies that it is also illegal to discriminate based on a combination of two or more protected characteristics. This "intersectional discrimination" recognizes that a person's experience of discrimination can be unique, such as a Black woman facing prejudice based on the intersection of her race and gender.
About Marquee Advocacy Group
At Marquee Advocacy Group, we believe employees are the backbone of Bakersfield’s economy. From farmworkers and oilfield crews to nurses, teachers, and office professionals, Kern County thrives because of its workforce. Yet too often, these workers are underpaid, overworked, or mistreated.
Our firm was built to level the playing field. As a premier Bakersfield labor law firm, we focus exclusively on employee representation—not employers. We’ve built a reputation for fighting aggressively in cases such as:
Get Your Free ConsultationWrongful Termination
Being fired for reasons that violate the law—such as discrimination, retaliation, or refusing to participate in illegal activities. We help employees who were let go unfairly get compensation, lost wages, and justice.
Workplace Discrimination
Employees cannot be treated differently because of their age, gender, race, disability, religion, national origin, pregnancy, or other protected characteristics. Discrimination can include unfair treatment, denied promotions, reduced hours, or being replaced due to bias.
Workplace Harassment & Hostile Work Environments
Harassment can be verbal, physical, or sexual. It includes offensive jokes, unwanted touching, intimidation, or any behavior that creates a toxic or unsafe environment. We help victims hold employers accountable for failing to stop harassment.
Workplace Retaliation
It is illegal for employers to punish employees for reporting wrongdoing, filing complaints, requesting accommodations, or standing up for their legal rights. Retaliation can include termination, demotion, cut hours, threats, or negative performance reviews.
Unpaid Wages and Overtime
Many workers don’t receive the pay they are legally owed. This includes unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, missed meal/rest breaks, withheld commissions, or off-the-clock work. We fight to recover every dollar employees deserve.
Employee Misclassification
Some employers wrongly label workers as “independent contractors” or “salaried exempt employees” to avoid paying overtime, benefits, or providing legal protections. We help employees challenge misclassification and recover unpaid wages and benefits.
Leave of Absence Violations
Workers are legally entitled to certain leaves—such as family leave, medical leave, pregnancy leave, and disability leave. Employers cannot deny these leaves, cut hours, demote employees, or fire them for taking time off legally.
Breach of Employment Contracts
If an employer breaks a written, verbal, or implied agreement—whether related to pay, job duties, termination terms, or benefits—the employee may have a legal claim. We help enforce contractual rights and seek compensation.
Whistleblower Protection
Employees who report unsafe working conditions, fraud, wage theft, or illegal activity are protected by law. Employers cannot fire or punish whistleblowers. We help ensure their rights are protected and pursue damages when retaliation occurs.
Why Employees Across Bakersfield Trust Us?
The truth is, many workers hesitate to contact an attorney because they fear retaliation, costs, or the complexity of the legal system. But at Marquee Advocacy Group, we make the process simple, accessible, and risk-free.
No Win, No Money Promise
You pay nothing unless we win your case. Our contingency model ensures every worker—no matter their financial situation—gets fair access to justice.
Local Experience
Our team understands Bakersfield’s industries firsthand, from agriculture and oil to healthcare and education. We know the challenges local workers face every day.
Focused on Employment Law
We don’t handle every type of case—only workplace law. This exclusive focus allows us to deliver stronger strategies and better results for employees.
When you need an employment lawyer in Bakersfield, you deserve someone who understands not only the law but also the industries and pressures unique to Kern County.
YOU DON’T PAY UNLESS WE WIN
Statistical Evidence of Workplace Discrimination
Workplace discrimination is not a relic of the past. It is a modern crisis that continues to create barriers to opportunity and economic equality. The data reveals a landscape where prejudice still dictates professional futures.
- Discrimination is Rampant in Hiring: A landmark study by researchers at the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley sent out 83,000 fictitious resumes to Fortune 500 companies. The results were shocking: resumes with "distinctively Black names" received around 9-10% fewer callbacks than those with "distinctively white names," even when all qualifications were identical.
- Age Discrimination is a Growing Threat: The AARP reports that nearly 2 out of 3 workers age 45 and older have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. With an aging workforce, this form of prejudice is becoming increasingly common as companies seek to cut costs by replacing experienced, higher-paid workers.
- The Persistent Gender Pay Gap: Decades after the Equal Pay Act, a significant gender pay gap persists. According to the National Women's Law Center, women in the U.S. are paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men. For women of color, the gap is even wider. This disparity amounts to thousands of dollars in lost wages each year.
- AI is Creating New Forms of Bias: As employers increasingly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hiring and promotion decisions, new forms of discrimination are emerging. The California Civil Rights Council has recognized this threat, noting that automated systems can "exacerbate existing biases and contribute to discriminatory outcomes." New regulations set to go into effect in late 2025 aim to police the use of AI in employment to prevent this "automated discrimination".
These statistics are not just numbers; they represent blocked opportunities, stolen wages, and derailed careers. They prove that discrimination is a powerful and persistent force that requires an equally powerful legal response. This is the battle Marquee Advocacy Group was built to fight.
Recent Victories
From executives to construction workers, we fight for people who have been wronged. Below is a selection of our recent results.
Disability Discrimination
Wage & Hour Class Action
Retaliation - Leave
Gender Discrimination
Association - With Disabled Family Member
Racial Discrimination
Wage & Hour Class Action
Sexual Harassment
* Past results don't guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.
Real Stories. Real Results.
Over $100 Million recovered for our clients. Here is what they have to say about working with us.
D. Valenzuela
Employment Law Client
Phil Leggett
Employment Law Client
Shane Steiner
Employment Law Client
Jeff Phillips
Employment Law Client
YOU DON'T PAY UNLESS WE WIN
Why You Need a Workplace Discrimination Attorney
Proving discrimination is one of the most challenging tasks in employment law. Employers are sophisticated and rarely admit to a discriminatory motive. They will almost always provide a seemingly legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for their decision. Your job—and your lawyer's—is to prove that this reason is just a pretext (a cover-up) for illegal discrimination.
This is why you need an experienced Workplace Discrimination Attorney in your corner.
We Know How to Uncover the Truth
We act as legal investigators. Through the discovery process—including depositions, subpoenas, and written questions—we dig beneath the surface of your employer’s version of events. We search for the “smoking gun” email, contradictory statements, or patterns of behavior that reveal the true discriminatory motive.
We Understand the Power of Circumstantial Evidence
Most discrimination cases are proven through circumstantial evidence. We know how to connect the dots—from suspicious timing and shifting explanations to biased remarks and statistical patterns—to build a compelling and persuasive case for a judge or jury.
We Level the Playing Field
Your employer has corporate lawyers working hard to protect the company. Going in without representation is a major disadvantage. Hiring Marquee Advocacy Group places an aggressive, strategic legal team on your side, making it clear that you are serious and will not be pushed around.
We Maximize Your Financial Recovery
The purpose of a discrimination claim is to restore what you’ve lost. We fight to recover every category of damages available to you, including back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, and—when appropriate—punitive damages to punish unlawful conduct.
We Provide Strategic Guidance
Should you file with the EEOC or the California CRD? Should you negotiate or litigate? We guide you at every step, ensuring your decisions are informed, strategic, and aligned with your long-term goals.
We Protect You From Retaliation
Many workers fear speaking up because of potential backlash. We help shield you from retaliation by advising you on your rights, documenting unlawful behavior, and taking swift legal action if your employer attempts to punish you for asserting your rights.
These realities make the role of an employment attorney in Bakersfield crucial. We fight to hold employers accountable across every industry.
The Marquee Method: No Win, No Money
At Marquee Advocacy Group, we are driven by a commitment to justice for all, not just for those who can afford to pay exorbitant legal fees. Our entire practice is built on the No Win, No Money Marquee Method, which makes elite legal representation accessible to every worker in Bakersfield.
You Pay Nothing Upfront
We handle all discrimination cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we charge no upfront fees or retainers. We invest our own money and resources to build your case from the ground up.
We Only Get Paid If You Win
Our payment is entirely dependent on our success. We are paid a pre-agreed percentage of the financial recovery we obtain for you, whether through a negotiated settlement or a jury verdict.
No Win, No Money—A Rock-Solid Guarantee
If we are not successful in winning your case, you owe us absolutely nothing. This model removes all financial risk from your decision to fight for your rights and ensures that our goals are perfectly aligned with yours.
YOU DON’T PAY UNLESS WE WIN
Related Services in Bakersfield
Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Bakersfield
Workplace Harassment Lawyer in Bakersfield
Workplace Retaliation Lawyer in Bakersfield
Unpaid Wages Lawyer in Bakersfield
Employee Misclassification Lawyer in Bakersfield
Leave of Absence Attorney in Bakersfield
Breach of Employment Contract Lawyer in Bakersfield
Whistleblower Protection Lawyer in Bakersfield
Frequently Asked Questions
The key difference is the reason for the unfair treatment. Being treated unfairly by a boss who is an "equal opportunity jerk" is not illegal. It becomes illegal discrimination when the unfair treatment is because of your membership in a protected class (your race, gender, age, disability, etc.). If you can connect the unfairness to your protected status, you may have a legal claim.
Your Right to Equality Deserves a Fearless Defender
You have the right to be judged on your merits, not on stereotypes or prejudice. If your employer has violated that right, you do not have to suffer in silence. The law is a powerful tool for change, and Marquee Advocacy Group is ready to wield it on your behalf.
Contact us today for a free, completely confidential, and comprehensive consultation. Let our dedicated Bakersfield Workplace Discrimination Attorneys listen to your story, validate your experience, and provide a clear, strategic path forward. It's time to demand the respect and equality you have earned. Your fight is our fight.
YOU DON’T PAY UNLESS WE WIN