Carney R. Shegerian, an employee rights attorney and founder of Shegerian & Associates, a Santa Monica-based litigation law firm representing employees, has issued the following comment surrounding proposition 8 and the potential effects in the workplace.

Shegerian states, “So often people with the same sex sexual orientation feel afraid to reveal such orientation to employers because of how they often are treated. With the hype surrounding proposition 8 talk and same sex marriage, employees need to know what their rights are now regarding the ability to secure and maintain employment without regard to their sexual orientation,” Shegerian adds, “The law provides that it is the job of the employer to ensure that personal sexual lives are not a ground for mistreatment of any employee, gay or straight.”

Shegerian adds, “In recent years we represented a client who was terminated shortly after he advised his employer of his sexual orientation. His employer manufactured false reasons, wrote our client up for issues it did not write other employees up for and fired him. This case resulted in a $1,200,000 verdict. The laws that the employer was not willing to enforce in the workplace the jury enforced for them.”

An experienced trial attorney, Shegerian has tried many jury trials to verdict in both state and federal court, always representing individuals that have suffered financial or emotional losses and have been wronged by employers, including major corporations. Shegerian has built a remarkable career on helping those who have been wronged in the workplace. He remains undefeated in federal jury trials and has won 14 seven figure verdicts representing employees.