Defending Workers’ Rights In Discrimination Lawsuits

In New Jersey and throughout the United States, employers are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination against employees. Several antidiscrimination laws are in place on the federal and states levels, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), among many others.

If you are harassed on the job, suffering from discrimination or experiencing a hostile work environment, you do not have to endure such deplorable conditions alone or in silence. We are committed to helping you.

Because there are so many laws and regulations involved in employment discrimination cases, and because these cases are factual, these claims can be complex and sometimes challenging to prove. We know how to protect the rights of victims of unlawful workplace discrimination.

Before you step foot in our office (or any other attorney’s), we suggest that you prepare a written detailed private diary outlining the dates of each incident of harassment and any co-workers or other individuals who were a witnesses to each. Also, write down the names of any current or former employees who may have also been subject to such unfair treatment in the workplace. We can use that to show a pattern of bad behavior by your employer. Lastly, be prepared to review with us any written warnings or violations that your employer has alleged against you so we can evaluate the merit of such allegations together.

We find that many employees – at risk of losing their livelihood – let employers treat them badly way too long. That is unfortunate and unnecessary. We don’t charge for a consultation, and we stand ready to help you. Once you have the information requested above, call us and we will promptly meet with you and guide you as to your rights.

Have You Been The Victim Of Unlawful Discrimination?

Though you may feel that your employer acted wrongfully, their actions may not also rise to the level of prohibited discrimination under the law. In order to recognize whether you have been a victim, it helps to understand what actions constitute unlawful workplace discrimination. To prove a discrimination claim, it must be shown that your employer engaged in discriminatory action based on your actual or perceived membership in a protected class. There can be a wide range of discriminatory actions at issue in these cases, including the following:

• Making unlawful inquiries during the application and hiring process
• Refusal to hire someone
• Demotion or refusal to promote
• Decrease in pay or refusal to increase pay
• Termination
• Harassment
• Having policies that discriminate against certain employees
• Retaliation against an employee who complains of potentially discriminatory actions

You must prove that the discriminatory action was based on one or more factors that are protected by law, which in New Jersey include the following:

• Race
• Color
• Nationality
• Ancestry
• Genetic information
• Atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait
• Physical or mental disability
• Religion
• Age
• Sex (including pregnancy)
• Marital status
• Civil union or domestic partnership
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Military service
• AIDS or HIV diagnosis

Signs Of Discrimination In The Workplace

Despite all of the many laws against workplace discrimination, some employers and managers have biased views and may not take the laws seriously. It is never pleasant to work in a discriminatory atmosphere, and you should always look for signs that unlawful discrimination is taking place, which can include:

• The application or interview involves suspicious questions or inappropriate comments about race, religion, sex or other protected factors
• Owners, managers or other superiors make inappropriate comments or allow employees to do so
• There is a general demeaning tone to conversations with certain superiors
• Employers allow discriminatory jokes or comments about stereotypes
• Members of certain classes are isolated or only assigned to certain work duties
• There is a high turnover of employees or low morale among employees because of the way they are treated
• There is a lack of a diverse workforce
• An employer does not take complaints of possible discrimination or harassment seriously

In some cases, discrimination will be overt and immediately recognizable, such as a manager ridicules an employee for their race or religion and then fires them. In other cases, discrimination may not be as apparent, such as a racially different employee being consigned to unfavorable hours or duties. The employees may be victims for an extended period of time without realizing their rights, or because they are afraid of asserting their rights. If you believe your employer has violated your rights, our workers’ rights attorney is here to advocate for you. Our experienced lawyer for discrimination cases specializes in providing legal support and representation for instances of age discrimination. The law is there to protect you. So are we; call us if you feel like you are a victim of discrimination in the workplace.

Let Us Review The Facts Of Your Case

If you suspect or know you have been a victim of unlawful discrimination in the workplace, you should not delay in calling an experienced employment discrimination lawyer. We will review your situation and advise you whether your rights have been violated by your employer. If so, the next actions can depend on different factors. For example, if you have already been wrongfully terminated for discriminatory reasons, we can seek damages for back pay, emotional distress and other losses you suffered due to the discriminatory actions. If you are still working and plan to keep working for that employer, we can take other steps to help ensure the discrimination stops. If you’re facing workplace retaliation, our team of experienced employer retaliation attorneys is here to fight for your rights and hold your employer accountable for their actions

At Salomon & Aquino, LLC, we firmly believe that every discriminatory employer should be stopped and held accountable for their wrongful actions. We are committed to standing up and fighting for the rights of victims of discrimination, so please call today at 973-278-1124 or reach us online to schedule a free consultation.