If you are wondering if it's worth it to sue your employer, now is the time to consult a lawyer. Suing your employer can have far-reaching consequences that you may not realize without legal advice. Also, there are many laws and procedures to follow during the process.
What Would Stop You From Taking Legal Action?
Many employees fear rocking the boat at work. They go to work every day and don't complain about potentially illegal or harmful practices. This is common because employers usually have more power in the relationship. Employees are inherently at a disadvantage in the workplace.
Unfortunately, discriminatory practices at work can harm employees' dignity, confidence, and relationships. For example, employees could face sexual harassment or discrimination due to race, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, or another trait protected by law. When employees do not speak up, employers can continue their harmful practices without any penalties. But sadly, employees who do speak up could face retaliation or even wrongful termination.
Employees who deal with discrimination or harassment in the workplace want it to stop. But it's often not as simple as asking for an end to these illegal practices. Sometimes legal action is necessary to put an employer on notice. How should an employee who is facing harassment or discrimination decide what to do in this situation? Should they sue their employer? Complain to a supervisor? Call the Department of Labor? Post a negative review online? In this situation, the first and best thing an employee can do is call a lawyer.
Experienced Lawyers Can Help with Discrimination and Harassment at Work
Anyone thinking about suing their employer needs to talk to a lawyer first. An experienced discrimination and employment lawyer will be familiar with the laws and procedures that apply. After they hear about your experiences at work, they may be able to give legal advice or practical suggestions about how to move forward. Each workplace situation is different, so it's important to get legal advice specific to your circumstances.
Although you might think that suing your employer is the only way to proceed, that may not be true. Other potential options depending on the case could be filing a complaint, contacting Human Resources, negotiating a settlement, or going to a mediation. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every case. That is why you need a lawyer's advice on the best way to handle your claim.
You may think that you can handle a discrimination or harassment issue at work on your own. This may not be a good idea. The employment and labor laws are complex, and new court rulings mean that interpretation of the laws changes frequently. There are also pre-litigation and court procedures that apply in this kind of case. As an example, employers who are sued for discrimination often have their large law firms file special motions asking the court to dismiss the case. If the court grants one of these summary judgment motions in an employer's favor, the employee loses the case and it gets dismissed. There is no opportunity to explain the facts to a jury. This is only one of the major hurdles that employees may face when pursuing their claims against employers. As a result, you need the experience and know-how of a lawyer who focuses exclusively on discrimination and employment law cases. This kind of lawyer can help you reach your best outcome.
What Can You Expect When You Get a Lawyer?
You may think that once you find a lawyer, you can file a lawsuit against your employer immediately. Phillips & Associates offers free initial consultations to eligible prospective clients to see if their cases are a good fit for our team of lawyers. After an initial consultation, the next step may not be suing an employer immediately. It depends on the circumstances of an individual harassment or discrimination case. Your lawyer can explain what your options may be and which way they recommend proceeding. This could involve filing a lawsuit, or it could include a wide variety of other options available in employment and discrimination cases. If you're facing harassment or discrimination at work, reach out to the experienced employment attorneys at Phillips & Associates. Our team takes pride in only representing employees and going toe to toe with other large firms. You won't be outgunned by the big firm your employer hires to defend itself. For a free consultation, call the experienced New York discrimination and wrongful termination attorneys at Phillips & Associates today at (866) 229-9441. At Phillips & Associates- We Level the Playing Field
Employees were, and for the most part still are, at a big disadvantage in the workplace. There is a dramatic power imbalance between employees and the companies for which they work. This power balance can intensify after experiencing sexual harassment or discrimination. The company/employer often hires a large law firm to represent it, while the employee may have just lost their job, have very little money and no one to help them understand their rights. At Phillips & Associates, we have the experience, staffing, and financial backing to keep the playing field level. People need to take a close look at the lawyer or law firm they want to hire and determine if that lawyer or firm has the funds, experience and the resources to properly litigate their case. Phillips & Associates, one of the largest plaintiffs' only employment law firms in New York. The firm handles cases involving sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace including pregnancy, race, disability, religion, gender, and sexual orientation and other protected traits. Phillips & Associates also handles other areas of harassment at work such as retaliation and wrongful termination. Most recently Phillips & Associates was selected as one of the "10 Best Employment & Labor Law Firms in New York" by the American Institute of Legal Counsel.