Kaiser Permanente and its related entities and subsidiaries employ over 20,000 people. This huge employer definitely adds value to the community, but it also, unfortunately, sometimes takes advantage of or mistreats its employees. However, no employer is too big to avoid the laws in Harbor City, and Kaiser Permanente is no exception.
Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers has been helping employees assert their rights against Kaiser Permanente and its related entities for more than 20 years. These other affiliates include:
- Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group
- The Permanente Medical Group
- Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center
- Kaiser Permanente Parkview Medical Office
- Kaiser Permanente Normandie South Medical Office
CALIFORNIA LAW PROTECTS WORKERS
There are various reasons you may take legal action against Kaiser Permanente. This overview will address the most common. Often, those who file claims or lawsuits against Kaiser Permanente do so because they have been the victims of retaliation after reporting unsafe working conditions. Health care workers in California should not fear being disciplined or losing their jobs because they feel they have a duty to themselves, their coworkers, and patients to alert the relevant authorities and other such parties when hazardous conditions put the safety of employees and/or patients at risk. Multiple California laws and regulations specifically serve to prevent employers from punishing health care employees who report such conditions. They include the following:- California Health & Safety Code Section 1278.5: According to this law, “it is the public policy of the State of California to encourage patients, nurses, members of the medical staff, and other health care workers to notify government entities of suspected unsafe patient care and conditions.” The law also states that health facilities can’t retaliate or discriminate against whistleblowers.
- California Business & Professions Code Section 510: This law establishes that it is policy within California that health care workers must be encouraged to serve as advocates for their patients, ensuring they receive proper care. One way a health care worker can advocate for their patients is to report unsafe conditions when they become aware of them.
- California Business & Professions Code Section 2056: Similar to the above law, under this statute, it is a violation of California public policy to “penalize” or “terminate an employment or other contractual relationship” with a doctor or surgeon who has advocated for the proper treatment of a patient based on “the applicable legal standard of care.” For example, if a doctor had to protect a patient by calling attention to unsafe conditions or practices, their employer cannot legally fire them or punish them in any other manner for doing so.
POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE CLAIMS AGAINST KAISER PERMANENTE
Employees have rights under both federal and state law that they can assert against their employer when they feel like they are being mistreated. These laws are particularly important to health care workers who are reporting mistreatment and poor conditions that put patient health at risk. Employees in the following roles have special protection under these circumstances:- Doctors
- Nurses
- Medical staff
- CNAs
- Surgeons
RECOVERING COMPENSATION FROM KAISER PERMANENTE
It’s important to understand that an attorney is unable to make any promises regarding how much compensation you may eventually recover if you take legal action against Kaiser Permanente. That said, depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible to receive compensation for the following:- Lost wages
- Lost benefits
- Legal fees
- Court costs
- Pain and suffering
HOW A HARBOR CITY KAISER PERMANENTE ATTORNEY CAN HELP YOU
You may worry that getting a lawyer involved will create unnecessary conflict or stress. However, you have every right to ensure that you are treated fairly under the law. In some cases, you need a lawyer to help protect you against large employers like Kaiser Permanente. As your employment attorney, Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers can help you by:- Gathering documentary evidence that you might not otherwise know how to collect
- Speaking with both negative and positive witnesses
- Getting information about similar occurrences that may have happened in the past