Center City Employment Lawyers

Regardless of whether you are an at-will or contract employee, your employer is governed by a strict set of laws. If your employer commits discrimination, harassment, or even fails to pay you as they are required by law, you have legal recourse. Employment lawsuits can be difficult because your employer will often vigorously work to defend themselves from a lawsuit.

An experienced Center City employment lawyer at The Gold Law Firm P.C. can fight for you.

What Is Employment Discrimination?

Employment discrimination can exist in a number of contexts. You could be the victim of discrimination based on hiring and termination decisions, how you are treated on the job, or your working environment.

Federal and state laws protect you from being discriminated against at work. You may experience differing treatment on the job based on your membership in a protected class. Under federal law, being a part of a protected class is based on:

Employment discrimination may consist of a number of illegal types of behavior that could include:

• Failure to hire an applicant for a position.
• Terminating an employee from a job.
• Failure to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s disability.
• Subjecting the employee to harassment or a hostile work environment.
• Denying an employee a benefit of the job that others are receiving.
• Having your performance evaluated differently than other employees.

It is crucial that you be on the lookout for any of these types of conduct because you may be able to take legal action.

What Is Harassment on the Job?

Harassment can usually take on two forms in the workplace. When sexual harassment is involved, you may have been subjected to a quid pro quo, where someone demands or expects sexual favors, either in exchange for a certain work benefit or to allow you to keep your job.

Harassment is often found in your working environment. You can be a victim of harassment if you have been subjected to a hostile work environment. The harassment must be based on your membership in a protected class. The harassment must be so pervasive and severe that it affects your ability to do your job.

What constitutes harassment depends on the facts and circumstances of the situation. It is rare that one act would be considered harassment. Repeated patterns of conduct are typically considered a hostile work environment.

What Should I Do if I am the Victim of Discrimination at Work?

Documentation is the key to any successful employment discrimination case. If you need to take your case to court, you would need proof of discrimination to win. Your employer will never admit to discriminatory conduct because they know the potential legal consequences that await them. You would need as much physical and circumstantial evidence as possible to meet your own burden of proof in a lawsuit.

It may be difficult for you to come forward with any workplace discrimination allegations. You could be worried about your job. The law protects you from retaliation if you have made a complaint about discrimination. If your employer takes some type of action against you because you have raised your own concerns, that in itself could be grounds for a lawsuit.

As uncomfortable as it may be, you would need to raise your concerns to your employer in most cases and allow them to act, especially if your case involves some type of harassment. Try to keep a log of the conduct that you have been subjected to, which documents your own recollections. Also, you should save copies of any communications or records that you have that can prove discrimination.

How Can I File an Employment Discrimination Lawsuit?

Usually, you would not be allowed to file an employment lawsuit directly without bringing the matter first to the attention of the government. Your first step is to go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) if your claim is being filed under federal law. If you are claiming discrimination under Pennsylvania law, you would go to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC). The government agencies would first investigate your complaint to determine whether they want to take legal action on your behalf. They could get involved in a potential resolution.

If the government does not take up your case, they will release you to file a lawsuit on your own. Then, you could go to federal court to file an employment lawsuit, seeking compensation for the discrimination you have been subjected to.

What Are My Damages in Employment Lawsuits?

If you win or settle your employment law case, you may be entitled to substantial damages. Typically, your damages would consist of back pay and emotional distress due to the conduct that you have endured. You could also have your attorney’s fees awarded to you. In some extreme cases, you may even be able to recover punitive damages for extremely outrageous conduct on the part of your employer. The prospect of punitive damages may be what makes your employer come to the table to potentially settle your case.

Other Types of Employment Law Cases

You have many other rights as an employee that could be violated. For example, federal wage and hour laws determine how you are to be paid. Some employees have the right to be paid time and a half for their overtime hours. All employees must receive a certain minimum amount of compensation. Violation of wage and hour laws could lead to large class action lawsuits.

You also have the right to speak up about dangerous conditions and wrongful conduct that is occurring on your job. If you choose to speak up as a whistleblower, you have certain protections from retaliation.

Why Do I Need a Center City Employment Lawyer?

Your employer may simply figure that they can break the law and get away with it because you may not have the means or confidence to speak up for yourself. An employment lawyer gives you the means to fight back. Your employer may take you more seriously when they see that you have someone on your side who is able to hold them accountable for their conduct.

The Gold Law Firm P.C. has over 40 years of experience getting justice for our clients. Lawyers often refer clients to our law firm because they know we can wage a vigorous legal fight. We represent public and private sector clients in employment discrimination cases, taking on employers large and small who are trying to deny them their rights.

Contact the Experienced Center City Employment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Today for More Information

If you have been the victim of illegal treatment on the job, reach out to the Center City employment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. We can help you fight back when your rights have been violated. Call 215-569-1999 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, and we serve clients in South Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Northeast Philadelphia, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lehigh County, Montgomery County, and Cherry Hill.