There are comprehensive federal laws to protect you from discrimination in the workplace based on your gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, age, race, disability, pregnancy status, and more.
If you have been the victim of employment discrimination, a lawyer from our firm can defend your rights. We help clients fight back against sexual harassment, retaliation, unfair hiring and compensation practices, and other discriminatory policies from employers.
Let Us Secure Your Employment Rights
Morelli Law Firm takes antidiscrimination laws very seriously. We are proud to be able to help people in New York, northern New Jersey, and Philadelphia protect their rights against discriminatory employers. An employment discrimination lawyer from our team can do this by:
- Listening to you: We know that discrimination victims often feel like no one will believe them. Our team takes every case seriously and listens respectfully to everything you wish to tell us.
- Building a case: We can collect details about your situation from you, witnesses in the workplace, documentation, and more.
- Meeting with others: Speaking to the defendant or their representatives can be risky and give them a chance to weaken your case using your own words. Instead, let us speak to them on your behalf and relay messages between sides.
- Negotiating a settlement: In many cases, the defendant will agree to a pretrial settlement to make a lawsuit go away faster. With us by your side to ensure the settlement meets your needs, this could help resolve your case in a timely manner.
- Going to court: While we have settled many cases out of court, there are some instances where a trial is the only way to ensure justice is served. We are always willing to represent clients in the courtroom.
- Deferring fees: We never charge clients attorney’s fees up front. Instead, we wait until after you receive compensation to send a bill.
Our firm also manages workplace sexual harassment cases and was the first to successfully sue Bill O’Reilly and Fox News. No matter what type of discrimination or harassment you have experienced, we want to help you build your case and recover adequate compensation.
Compensation for Employment Discrimination
What financial compensation can you receive if you have suffered employment discrimination? The final payout may depend on:
- The forms of discrimination involved
- Whether the discrimination occurred once or multiple times
- How long the discrimination went on for
- The severity of the harm you sustained
In general, you can seek compensation for financial, physical, and emotional damages that the discrimination caused. Common examples include:
- Lost wages: For example, if you were paid less than you should have been or if workplace harassment caused you to miss work, we can sue for back wages.
- Loss of employment: You were fired for unfair reasons or were compelled to quit when the discriminatory behavior became too much to bear.
- Pain and suffering: Being discriminated against is upsetting, even traumatizing. Any sort of mental anguish – or even bodily injury if the harassment involved physical violence – may be grounds for a lawsuit.
- Legal costs and other expenses: If the discrimination has forced you to spend money that you would not have normally spent, you can seek reimbursement for those costs. This includes the cost of hiring an attorney or seeking medical care.
Proving Discrimination
To collect damages like the above, we need to gather sufficient evidence to prove you experienced employment discrimination. Evidence sources vary on a case-by-case basis, but common examples include:
- Witness statements: Can anyone at the workplace confirm that the discriminatory behavior occurred when and where you say it did? We can interview these witnesses and use their statements as evidence.
- Medical records: Any treatment you received for discrimination-related psychiatric or physical harm can be used to strengthen your case.
- Communications: If you have voicemails, texts, or emails containing examples of discrimination, we invite you to show them to us. They may prove invaluable.
- Internal documents: During a lawsuit, we have the right to ask the defendant for any documents we feel might be helpful, and they have the right to request documents from you.
How Do I Know If I Have a Case?
You may have a case if your circumstances match the following.
Discriminatory Behavior
Employment discrimination can take many forms. According to The New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR), for example, banned discriminatory behaviors include but are not limited to:
- Refusing to hire someone
- Terminating employment
- Paying someone differently from others in a comparable position
- Refusing to allow someone to join a union
- Publishing materials that state or imply that people in a particular group will be treated differently
- Retaliating against someone who complains about any banned behavior
Protected Status
Negative behavior alone is not necessarily evidence of employment discrimination. To have a viable case, you must prove the negative behavior you experienced is a direct result of your inclusion in one or more protected categories. These categories, again per the DHR, include but are not limited to:
- Age
- Race
- Color
- Disability
- Religion
- Gender or gender expression
- Sexual orientation
- National origin
- Pregnancy
- Marital status
Legal Deadlines
Finally, you can have a case only if you file a lawsuit within the legally allowed time period. This is called a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations in employment discrimination cases may vary depending on:
- Where you live
- Who you are suing
- What type of behavior you experienced
For example, the deadline for filing a sexual harassment lawsuit in New York is generally three years. Per the DHR, the statute of limitations was extended in August 2020. Morelli Law Firm can determine which statutes apply to your case and, if your case still falls within those statutes, file all necessary paperwork to get your suit started promptly.
Get a Free Consultation Today
Has an employer ever treated you differently, refused to hire you, created a hostile work environment, or discriminated against you in any way based on your religion, race, color, gender, or another protected category? Call Morelli Law Firm at (212) 751-9800. If you have a viable case, we can have an employment discrimination lawyer walk you through your next steps.