Helping You Fight Workplace Discrimination
Your employer must provide you with a workplace that is free from discrimination. Our employment attorneys have decades of experience fighting for the rights of employees who have experienced race, color, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sex, gender, gender identity, age, religion and other types of discrimination.
We have helped hundreds of individuals across the country take a stand and put an end to workplace discrimination. Whether it’s a boss seeking sexual favors in an illegal quid pro quo sexual harassment situation, a manager treating you differently since your baby bump appeared or a co-worker who won’t stop making racist comments, we can help you.
Below are some of the many discrimination laws that we use to protect our clients. For more about how we protect whistleblowers, click here.
| Federal Law | Protected Classes And Prohibited Forms Of Discrimination | Employers Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. | Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. It also prohibits retaliation or reprisal against those who oppose illegal discrimination and those who participate in a proceeding under Title VII, including witnesses. | Title VII applies to private employers that employ at least 15 employees each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding year. Title VII also applies to labor unions and employment agencies, and federal, state, and local government agencies. |
| The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), 29 U.S.C. §621 et seq. | The ADEA prohibits age discrimination against those over age 40. It also prohibits retaliation or reprisal against those who oppose illegal discrimination and those who participate in a proceeding under the ADEA, including witnesses. |
The ADEA applies to private employers with at least 20 employees. The ADEA also applies to labor unions and employment agencies, and federal, state and local government agencies. |
| The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., as amended | The ADA and ADAAA prohibit discrimination against individuals with actual or perceived disabilities, including temporary disabilities. The ADA requires employers to engage in an interactive process with employees to identify any reasonable accommodations that are necessary for the employee to perform their job duties. The ADA also prohibits retaliation or reprisal against those who oppose illegal discrimination and those who participate in a proceeding under ADA, including witnesses. |
The ADA and ADAAA apply to private employers with at least 15 employees. The ADA and ADAAA also apply to labor unions and employment agencies, and federal, state and local government agencies. |
| The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. | The Rehabilitation Act essentially mirrors the language of the ADA/ADAAA and broadens the reach to more employers. | Organizations receive federal financial assistance, including federal organizations, state and local governments, and federal contractors. |
| The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq. | The FMLA provides the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a serious illness, to care for a seriously ill family member or to care for a newly born or adopted child. As a result of recent amendments, the FMLA also provides for leave to care for an injured military service member in the family and to address qualifying exigencies arising out of a service member’s deployment. The FMLA prohibits an employer from interfering with the right to take leave and prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against an employee for taking leave. |
The FMLA applies to employees who have worked at least 1250 hours for their employer in the last 12 months and employers with at least 50 employees in a 75-mile radius. |
| The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k) | The Pregnancy Discrimination Act clarifies that discrimination motivated by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is a form of sex discrimination under Title VII. | The same as Title VII |
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights that go far beyond that provided by federal law. For example, employees in the District of Columbia are protected by the DC Human Rights Act (DCHRA), DC Code. §§ 2-1401.01-1411.06. The DCHRA applies to all employers regardless of size. It also prohibits far more types of discrimination than federal law, including:
- Race and color discrimination
- Marital and familial status (including family responsibility)
- Personal appearances, including transgender appearances
- Sexual orientation and sexual expression (including transgender individuals who do not conform to gender stereotypes)
- Political affiliation
- Matriculation (enrollment in college or vocational schools)
- Place of residence
- Source of income (public assistance)
- Age discrimination against anyone over age 18, unlike federal law, which only protects those over age 40
Similarly, employees in Florida are protected by the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 (FCRA), Fla. Stat. §§760.01-760.11 and 509.092. The FCRA goes beyond Title VII and includes prohibitions on age and disability protection, which are covered under the federal ADEA and ADA/ADAAA, and adds protections for marital status.
The protections offered to employees by state and local laws are important because many of these laws not only increase the classes of employees protected but also tend to apply to smaller employers. Many state and local laws also have more generous deadlines and different restrictions on the damages that can be recovered to make victims of discrimination whole.
Our employment attorneys have the experience and know-how to help you navigate the many different laws that protect employees across the country. Contact us online or call 844-277-1217 today to take a stand against discrimination.
