The Firm Workers Should Call for an Employment Dispute in Morristown
Workers deserve to be treated with respect. Fortunately, a web of state and federal laws protects workers from retaliation, discrimination, and harassment. These laws also prohibit employers from stealing wages or benefits from employees.
If you are involved in an employment dispute with your boss, please contact us today. We can review the situation and explain your rights and possible remedies. Contact our Morristown employment lawyers today to schedule a confidential (and free) case evaluation.
Experience Matters
The team at Zatuchni & Associates has experience in both federal and state employment law. Our attorneys understand how to protect your rights by filing an administrative complaint or going to court and filing a lawsuit. Tight deadlines apply to all sorts of employment disputes, and we ensure our clients meet all of them.
David Zatuchni, our firm’s founder, has focused solely on employment law for over 20 years. He spent a good part of that time representing business defendants in employment-related matters. His experience allows him to quickly identify the best way to protect his clients, whether negotiating a settlement or filing a legal complaint. He has also participated in alternative dispute resolution techniques, including mediation and arbitration.
Evidence of illegal employment practices is usually hard to find. Some employers hide all evidence, including meeting notes or emails and refuse to turn them over. A skilled Morristown employment lawyer should know how to dig up incriminating evidence that employers would like to keep buried.
Every employer has a team of lawyers to defend its interests. Our clients need that as well. Whether you are an hourly-wage employee or a seasoned high-powered executive, you deserve the best legal representation possible.
Discrimination is Illegal in New Jersey
Nothing is more outrageous than employers who continue to use outdated stereotypes as part of their employment decision-making. We continue to see far too many workers discriminated against in hiring, promotion, and termination.
Under both federal and state law, discrimination is illegal when motivated by a protected characteristic, such as:
- Race
- Color
- Gender or sex
- Gender identity
- Sexual orientation
- Pregnancy
- National origin
- Disability
- Age
- Military service
- Genetic information
Any negative employment action violates antidiscrimination law when taken because of the employee’s protected characteristic.
Antidiscrimination law also prohibits seemingly benign policies which nonetheless have a disparate impact on a group. For example, a requirement that an employee lifts 100 pounds will exclude many more women than men and is illegal if it does not serve a legitimate business purpose.
Harassment is Illegal
Harassment is a form of workplace discrimination that has no place in New Jersey. Harassment can take many different forms. For example, a quid pro quo is a classic example of sexual harassment where a boss promises a promotion if you sleep with him. Men and women can both be harassed, and the harasser can even be of the same sex.
Other forms of harassment involve creating a hostile workplace based on a protected characteristic. Racist jokes or offensive images, coupled with aggressive acts motivated by racism, can conspire to make a workplace hostile and unwelcome. The same is true when a workplace becomes intolerable due to harassment against religion, color, disability, or sex.
Protections Against Retaliation
Numerous laws protect employees from retaliation for exercising certain rights. Some employers are quick to fire or demote an employee out of anger, but workers do not have to stand idly by and suffer these consequences.
Retaliation is prohibited in many contexts, such as when a whistleblower refuses to break the law or brings illegal conduct to the attention of authorities. Retaliation is also illegal if a worker takes protected family medical leave or reports harassment or discrimination.
Employment Remedies
Every case begins with trying to understand our client’s goals. For some, returning to work is their top priority, with back pay and lost benefits restored. Other clients have no desire to return to an employer and simply want financial compensation for their losses.
Where appropriate, some employment disputes should be class actions, especially where illegal employment practices harm large numbers of workers. We will discuss these options with our clients, so they better understand what help is available as their case moves forward.
Speak with Our Morristown Employment Lawyer Today
Zatuchni & Associates is a leading employment law firm in New Jersey representing the rights of employees. We understand that any dispute is stressful, so we maintain a high level of confidentiality. To help you decide whether our firm is the right choice for you, we offer a free, no-strings consultation where we can answer any questions. To get started, call us today or send an online message.