Workplace Discrimination & Harassment
Gender Discrimination │ Age Discrimination │ Race Discrimination │ Religious Discrimination │ Disability
Workplace discrimination and harassment claims are among the most prevalent types of employment-related complaints and lawsuits encountered by most businesses. In recent years, the number of discrimination/harassment claims filed in State and Federal Courts and with government agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the NYS Division of Human Rights has skyrocketed due to ever-expanding legislative protections for workers together with an increasingly employee-friendly judiciary. Formerly a concern only for New York’s largest employers, nowadays even the smallest of businesses often find themselves facing a workplace discrimination/harassment lawsuit or related government investigation.
Basis for Discrimination Claims in New York
In New York, employee discrimination and harassment complaints can be based upon a wide variety of grounds, including gender/sex, age, race, national origin, pregnancy, religion, disability, sexual orientation, military status, marital status, genetic characteristics and status as a domestic violence victim. Employees and an increasingly savvy plaintiffs’ bar are increasingly utilizing the full range of these federal, state and local municipal laws in an attempt to punish employers for perceived slights and obtain financial reward. As a result, employers throughout New York need to have a deep understanding of these laws, and their obligations in complying with them, in order to minimize their exposure to potentially costly litigation. Workplace discrimination/harassment claims take on many different forms and can arise at any stage or facet of the employment process, including:
- Placement of employment ads
- Recruiting / Interviewing
- Testing
- Hiring and termination
- Compensation
- Assignment or classification of employees
- Transfer, promotion, layoff and recalls
- Use of company facilities
- Training and apprenticeship programs
- Disability leave
- Fringe benefits
- Retirement plans
Owners and managers of small and medium sized businesses typically face greater disruption of operations than larger companies and are often blind-sided when discrimination/harassment complaints surface. Without in-house legal counsel, it is imperative to seek out trusted advice and guidance to handle troubling issues of workplace discrimination/harassment at the outset – before they become a full-blown, expensive lawsuit.
At Stephen D. Hans & Associates, we concentrate our practice on employer defense and counseling. Our comprehensive knowledge of Federal and New York employment laws along with our decades of in-depth experience enables us to protect the rights of small and medium sized business throughout the NYC metro area.
Our employment law attorneys have successfully defended employers in a wide range of cases and investigations involving allegations of workplace discrimination in both state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and before administrative agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the NYS Division of Human Rights and the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
When you need legal help to protect your rights as an employer or advice and guidance related to workplace discrimination claims and investigations, we encourage you to call us at (718) 275-6700. Arrange a consultation to learn how our experience in counseling and representing management in connection with workplace discrimination claims issues can help you resolve your problem.
Employment and labor law attorneys serving businesses in Long Island City, Queens, on Long Island and in towns and communities across the New York City metro area
Stephen D. Hans & Associates, P. C.
30-30 Northern Blvd., Suite 401
Long Island City, New York 11101
Phone: (718) 275-6700
Fax: (718) 275-6704
