Discrimination

Williams Cuker Berezofsky represents employees who are victims of discrimination. Under federal and state law, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. This includes all areas of employment including hiring and firing; compensation, assignment, or classification of employees; transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall; job advertisements; recruitment; testing; use of company facilities; training and apprenticeship programs; fringe benefits; pay, retirement plans, and disability leave; or other terms and conditions of employment. Other discriminatory practices under these laws include harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age; retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in an investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices; employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. The law also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group.

Federal discrimination laws cover all private employers, state and local governments, and education institutions. These laws also cover private and public employment agencies, labor organizations, and join labor management committees controlling apprenticeship and training.

If you are a victim of employment discrimination, you may be entitles to back pay, hiring, promotion, reinstatement, front pay, reasonable accommodation, or other actions that will make an individual “whole.” Remedies also may include payment of attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees, and court costs. Under most laws, compensatory and punitive damages also may be available where intentional discrimination is found, although punitive damages are not available against federal, state or local governments.

Inquiry forms for potential discrimination cases may be completed here.