Employment Laws

Wrongful Termination
Federal and state employment laws protect you from being wrongfully terminated. A wrongful termination will occur if your employer fires or lays you off, or forces you to quit or retire, for a protected characteristic. Protected characteristics include your age, disability, national origin and ancestry, race and color, religion, and sex and pregnancy.

Discrimination
Federal and state employment laws protect you from being discriminated by your employer. Discrimination will occur if your employer takes an adverse employment action against you, such as firing or laying you off, demoting you, failing to promote you, lowering your pay, failing to give you a raise, or transferring your job, for a protected characteristic.

Harassment
Federal and state employment laws protect you from being harassed by your employer. A claim for harassment arises when the harassment is unwelcome, the harassment is based on your protected characteristic, the harassment was severe or pervasive, and the harassment was committed by a supervisor or your employer knew of the harassment and failed to correct it.

Harassment includes the creation of a racially or sexually hostile work environment, verbally or physically abusive treatment, and requiring submission to sexual advances as a condition of employment, continued employment or promotion.

Retaliation
Federal and state employment laws prohibit your employer from retaliating against you for opposing any unlawful discriminatory practice, or because you have made a charge or filed a lawsuit against your employer, or because you have testified, assisted or participated in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing.

Protected Characteristics

Age
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited against persons 40 years of age or older.

Disability
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited on the basis of disability. In addition, applicants and employees must be provided with a reasonable accommodation for their disabilities, except when the accommodation imposes an undue hardship.

National Origin and Ancestry
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited on the basis of national origin or ancestry. In addition, any policy or practice limiting or prohibiting the use of any language in the workplace is a prohibited form of discrimination unless such limitation or prohibition is job-related and based upon business necessity.

Race and Color
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited on the basis of race or color. In addition, any facially neutral employment policy or practice that results in a discriminatory impact on the basis of race or color is a prohibited form of discrimination unless such policy or practice is job-related and based upon business necessity.

Religion
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited on the basis of religion. In addition, applicants and employees must be provided with a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs and practices, except when the accommodation imposes an undue hardship.

Sex and Pregnancy
Discrimination and harassment is prohibited on the basis of sex or pregnancy.

If you believe you have been subjected to wrongful termination, discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, disability, national origin and ancestry, race and color, religion, and sex and pregnancy, or other protected characteristics, contact us right away.