Employment discrimination can take many forms. You may face employment discrimination because you are female, or over the age of 40, or you may be dismissed without cause and not know the reason. Gillespie, Rozen & Watsky represents employees who have been discriminated against on the basis of gender, race, national origin, disability, age, and religion. Employment discrimination refers to bias on any of these bases in hiring, promotion, job assignment, wrongful termination, and compensation. Employees are protected from such bias under state and federal law and, in some instances, under the U.S. Constitution and various state constitutions.
Our firm also handles sexual harassment cases, including cases in which an employee is subject to a hostile work environment, and "whistleblower" cases involving individuals who are subjected to discrimination for blowing the whistle on their employers for defrauding the government or other violations of the law.
It is important for you to know that in discrimination cases there are very specific statutes of limitations. Statutes of limitations are deadlines that must be strictly followed and delay may result in a loss of your rights. For links to agencies with specific information, please see our Links & Resources page.
Gillespie, Rozen & Watsky have handled thousands of employment discrimination cases, including many based on:
Race discrimination
Age discrimination
Gender/Sex discrimination
Religious discrimination
Disability discrimination
National Origin discrimination
We must first discuss what you believe is the reason for your termination or mistreatment in order to establish that you are a member of a protected class. These protected classes are defined in federal laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Then, we must explore precisely what adverse action has occurred.
Uncovering Crucial Information to Build Your Case
Exploring why you believe you are a victim of job discrimination — whether due to comments made, actions observed or other evidence from the workplace — will be critical to making your case.
Recovering Back Pay, Front Pay and Other Damages
The primary remedy we seek in an employment discrimination case is back pay, and in most cases we also seek to recover damages for front pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. Here are some basic considerations:
We are often able to recover back pay — usually from the date of termination to the date of the jury decision.
It is often plausible to seek front pay, or future earnings. It is generally recognized that people at a higher level may have difficulty finding comparable employment for six months up to two years or longer.
Under special circumstances, you may also be able to recover compensatory damages for pain and suffering. This requires documenting serious medical consequences from your termination — as when the stress of the job loss leads to severe depression or other incapacitating problems.
When your employer has acted and violated your rights intentionally or maliciously, you may also be entitled to punitive damages.
You can put yourself back in position for a successful future.