Marriott Hotels & Resorts is one of the world’s most recognizable hospitality brands. With over 582 hotels operating around the world, the Marriott needs an army of workers to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for their guests.
Unfortunately, hotel workers are often mistreated and fired for illegal reasons. Quite often, hotel maids, janitors, cooks, receptionists, valets, and other employees lose their jobs because of discrimination and retaliation by the employer. As a Marriott employee who was wrongfully terminated, you may be entitled to monetary compensation from a lawsuit against your employer. Our legal team has the skills, experience, and resources to represent you in a Marriott Hotel wrongful termination case. Contact our law firm today and learn about your rights during a free case review.
Laws against Discrimination in the Workplace
As a worker in the state of California, you have protections against discriminatory treatment, which includes wrongful termination. In spite of these laws, employers still try to get around the system, knowing that many workers are unaware of legal protections at the state and federal level. Here are the most important laws that have to do with unlawful termination:
- Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits discriminatory practices by employers based on protected characteristics (race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy, age, etc.)
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, protects workers over the age of 40 from discriminatory treatment by employers
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offers protections for workers with certain physical and mental health conditions.
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an amendment that offers protection to workers during a pregnancy, and while on maternity leave or nursing
- The California Family Rights Act, state regulations that prohibit termination and other adverse employment decisions against employees in need of medical leave, maternity leave, or extended leave to take care of a seriously ill family member.
Protected Characteristics under California Law
We mentioned in the previous section that the Civil Rights Act makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on a protected characteristic. California has regulations that offer greater protections when it comes to protected categories. Thus, Marriott and other employers operating in California cannot fire someone because of their:
- Race
- Nationality / ethnicity
- Age (workers 40 years and older)
- Color
- Sexual orientation
- Genetic information / ancestry
- Marital status
- Disability / medical condition
- Veteran or military status
- Political beliefs and activities
- Religion
- Pregnancy / childbirth
- Status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, and/or stalking
- Gender or gender identity / expression
- AIDS / HIV status
Do you believe that you were targeted based on one or more of these traits? If you suspect that you were wrongfully terminated by Marriott Hotels and Resorts, don’t hesitate to contact the employment lawyers of California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group.
Discrimination in the Workplace
No matter where you work and what type of position you hold, you can be a target for unlawful conduct by your supervisor and others at your job. Workers should be aware of the different categories of discrimination and how they factor into a case of wrongful termination. Below are common examples of discrimination against Marriott Hotel employees:
- Racial discrimination, like not hiring workers of a certain race to fill upper management positions. You can also be fired because of your race, though it’s unlikely that your supervisor will say this outright. These cases are very challenging to prove, so you should consult a Los Angeles workplace discrimination lawyer as soon as possible.
- Age discrimination, which is any kind of biased or unfair treatment that’s based on the idea that someone cannot adequately perform their job duties because they are too old.
- Disability discrimination or adverse employment actions against someone for having a disability / serious medical condition. This includes not firing a worker that’s diagnosed with a physical / mental disability or terminating a worker that asks for reasonable accommodations in the workplace. It’s also against the law to fire someone for taking extended leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act.
- Religious discrimination for practicing a certain religion or needing reasonable accommodations, like wearing certain garments or needing a day off for a religious holiday.
- Pregnancy discrimination, such as firing someone for needing time off due to medical needs associated with a pregnancy, requesting maternity leave, or asking for breastfeeding accommodations.
- Sexual harassment, which is very common in the hospitality industry, and include a wide variety of acts, like solicitation for sexual favors, sending and asking for sexually explicit content, sexual assault, and making offensive remarks and jokes of a sexual nature. Usually, termination happens when the worker files a Human Resources complaint. If the perpetrator of the abuse is a supervisor, or they are protecting a favored worker, the victim may be fired or demoted to a lower position.
Wrongfully Terminated from a Marriott Hotel – What Should I Do?
Frankly, any incident of discrimination and other unlawful conduct by your employer should be documented, whether you have a written log of incidents or copies of HR complaints. Going to Human Resources is particularly important, though we understand why people are reluctant to do so. But this is the only way to have official documentation of what you’re going through, along with your employer’s response (Did they ignore the allegations? Was the problem dealt with, and were you protected from retaliation by the perpetrator?).
Whether you have left your job or feel that you are about to be fired, make sure to keep a detailed collection of evidence, such as:
- Emails and physical letters from Human Resources and others involved in the incident
- Written statements of audio recordings from witnesses or coworkers that had similar experiences
- Hard evidence, like photos, video, and screenshots of negligent or malicious conduct that was directed at yourself
- If you were fired after you took time off from work, medical records, proof of jury duty, and other documents that prove you had a right to medical leave, time off for a civil duty, etc.
- Performance reviews to show that your termination was not based on your ability to manage your job duties
This is a just a sampling of the evidence that may be helpful to you, and some cases require different forms of proof that we can help you obtain. A wrongful termination attorney can also file a labor law enforcement agency claim on your behalf, which is required before you proceed with a lawsuit. For more information on filing a wrongful termination claim against Marriott Hotels & Resorts, please schedule a time to speak with one of our attorneys.
Compensation from a Wrongful Termination Lawsuit against Marriott Hotel
The value of a wrongful termination lawsuit can range from a few thousand dollars to over $250,000. This is why it’s important to speak to an employment lawyer right away, who can verify the payments you are entitled to. Possible damages you can receive from a lawsuit against Marriott Hotels include:
- Lost income – front and back pay, unpaid overtime and tips, value of lost work benefits
- Pain and suffering for emotional / psychological trauma for acts of discrimination, harassment, and other abusive treatment
- Reinstatement of your former position or one that’s substantially similar
- Punitive damages if your employer is found to be guilty of gross negligence / malicious conduct (can only be awarded by a jury)
- Legal fees (court filings, hiring an attorney, etc.)
Talk to Marriott Hotel Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Los Angeles
Here at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, we have a team of wrongful termination attorneys who are ready to help you, 24/7. We are more than ready to provide skilled and aggressive representation that gets results. You can count on us to conduct a thorough investigation, put together a strong and compelling case, and fight to recover every penny you deserve as someone who was fired without legal justification.
Our commitment to you includes the Zero Fee Guarantee. We do not ask for any payment upfront, and instead, agree to wait till the recovery of your settlement to recover our expenses. That means you pay $0 if you wish to hire us, and you owe us absolutely nothing if we fail to resolve the lawsuit in your favor.
If the Marriott Hotel wrongfully fired you, please take a moment to contact out office and schedule a free consultation.
