Workplace Retaliation Lawyer in Concord

If you experienced workplace retaliation at a Concord workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Workplace Retaliation in Concord

Retaliation against employees who exercise legal rights is independently illegal under California law, separate from the underlying complaint. Common statutory bases for Concord workers include Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower retaliation; up to $10,000 per violation civil penalty under section 1102.5(f)), Labor Code section 98.6 (retaliation for filing a wage complaint), Labor Code section 6310 (Cal/OSHA retaliation; 6-month deadline to file with Cal/OSHA), Labor Code section 232 (retaliation for discussing wages with coworkers), Labor Code section 132a (workers' compensation retaliation), Cal. Government Code section 12940(h) (FEHA-protected-activity retaliation), Cal. Government Code section 8547 (California Whistleblower Protection Act for state employees), and Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 (hospital-worker patient-safety retaliation; $25,000-per-violation civil penalty).

Concord Industries Where Retaliation Claims Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus (2540 East Street, Concord, CA 94520, (925) 682-8200 - 244-licensed-bed (276 HCAI) acute-care hospital, one of Concord's largest employers; serves Contra Costa and southern Solano counties; operated by John Muir Health headquartered in adjacent Walnut Creek), plus a 73-bed psychiatric hospital affiliated with John Muir Health in Concord. Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) also operates dialysis clinics and corporate functions in Concord. Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and CNA / SEIU-UHW collective bargaining agreements. Public-company employees at Fresenius have additional Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6) protection.
• K-12 education workers - at the Mt. Diablo Unified School District / MDUSD (1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord, CA 94519, (925) 682-8000 - approximately 3,100 educators, administrators, and staff, one of the largest school districts in the Bay Area; operates 50+ schools from preschool through adult education serving Concord, Pleasant Hill, Bay Point, Clayton, and portions of Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette). Public-school workers have pre-deprivation due-process rights under Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Banking, finance, and corporate operations workers - at the Bank of America Technology Center (one of the largest BofA operations centers in the western United States) and the Chevron Credit Center (Chevron USA's national credit operations office). Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) employees are protected by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for accounting/securities fraud whistleblower claims, Dodd-Frank section 922 (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6), and - for banking-sector workers specifically - 12 U.S.C. section 1831j whistleblower protection. Office workers are covered by all standard California FEHA, Labor Code, and federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA / FMLA protections.
• Higher education and government workers - at Diablo Valley College (DVC - 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, adjacent to Concord; part of the Contra Costa Community College District), the City of Concord (1950 Parkside Drive - general-law city), the Concord Police Department (CPD officers subject to POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (which provides fire services to Concord). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Concord Reuse Project, retail, and consumer-services workers - at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (established 1942 as a vital munitions storage and shipping facility for the U.S. Navy, decommissioned with the inland portion transferred to the City of Concord and East Bay Regional Park District for redevelopment as the Concord Reuse Project), and at retail along Concord Avenue, Willow Pass Road, and Clayton Road including The Veranda outdoor lifestyle center and SunValley Shopping Center. Common claims: wage and hour (off-the-clock and rounding violations under Cal. Labor Code sections 226.7, 510, 512) and commission disputes (Cal. Labor Code section 2751). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).

SB 497 Rebuttable Presumption

SB 497 (effective January 1, 2024) amended Labor Code sections 98.6, 1102.5, and 1197.5 to create a rebuttable presumption of retaliation when an employer takes adverse action within 90 days of a protected complaint. The burden shifts to the employer to prove a non-retaliatory reason for the adverse action - a major change that strengthens Concord retaliation claims. AB 692 (effective January 1, 2026) added Labor Code section 926, which voids most "stay-or-pay" contract terms.

California Law

For the full California retaliation framework, including Labor Code sections 1102.5, 98.6, 6310, 232, and 132a, the California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Government Code section 8547), and FEHA retaliation (Cal. Government Code section 12940(h)), see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Back pay, front pay, emotional-distress damages, punitive damages (where allowed by statute), civil penalties (up to $10,000 per violation under Labor Code section 1102.5(f); up to $25,000 per violation under Health and Safety Code section 1278.5), and attorneys' fees and costs (Labor Code section 1102.5(j)). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Retaliation Claim in Concord

Whistleblower and wage-retaliation claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Oakland Office, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 801, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 622-3273). Cal/OSHA retaliation claims under Labor Code section 6310 have a 6-month deadline; statewide complaint line (833) 579-0927. FEHA retaliation claims go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Oakland Office, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 701, Oakland, CA 94612. Civil suits are heard at the Contra Costa County Superior Court, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.