Even though Pennsylvania is an employment “at-will” state, meaning you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, that still does not give employers or managers a license to make discriminatory choices in the workplace. State and federal laws prohibit employment discrimination during any aspect of hiring, firing, paying, assignments, promotions, training, benefits, layoffs, scheduling, vacations, or any other term or condition of employment. If you believe that you have been the victim of employment discrimination, learn what our employment discrimination attorneys in Philadelphia, PA, can do for you during a FREE consultation.
At Saffren & Weinberg, we understand that your job is your livelihood to support your family. There are huge ramifications when an employer or business unfairly makes employment decisions based on race, gender, age, disability, national origin, color, religion, or any other protected classification. These are factors that you cannot control and frankly have no bearing on your ability to work. If you have been discriminated against in the workplace due to unlawful biases and discriminatory treatment, know that our workplace discrimination attorneys can help protect your rights under Pennsylvania law. Tell us what happened during a private and confidential phone call, and we can tell you what your legal rights may be during a FREE case evaluation by dialing (215) 576-0100.
How Do I Know I Have Been the Victim of Employment Discrimination?
The best way to know if you have been the victim of employment discrimination is to ask an experienced workplace discrimination attorney in Philadelphia, PA. This is because employers and managers will often conjure many plausible reasons for their decisions which may sound acceptable. Still, oftentimes they are not and are merely aimed at cloaking discriminatory conduct.
For instance, some common examples of conduct that may be the result of workplace discrimination in Philadelphia include the following:
- Offering severance packages to employees over 65 years of age, but telling them it was based on 20+ years of experience when younger employees who have 20+ years are not being offered severance packages
- Not hiring an applicant with superior credentials and qualifications due to race or gender
- Promoting employees of a certain race and not more qualified employees of a different race
- Requiring pregnant employees to use sick and vacation time for maternity leave but offering long-term disability plans for other employees who are injured
- Layoffs of all the youngest employees or all of the oldest employees, without considering the length of time employed or job roles that are needed/not needed
- Firing an employee for making one mistake, whereas giving other employees of a different race, color, religion, national origin, or gender multiple “strikes”
- Approving vacation time for employees to celebrate an important religious holiday, but denying other employees the vacation time to celebrate an equally important but different religion’s holiday
- Punishing an employee for filing a complaint regarding workplace harassment or discrimination
- Giving a certain race or gender of employees more difficult and less desirable schedules or tasks at work, and
- Many other instances of employment discrimination that may be applicable
Retaliation is a Form of Workplace Discrimination in Pennsylvania
Even though most people believe that workplace discrimination is based on race, religion, national origin, gender, and other important protected classes, many people forget that retaliation is another form of employment discrimination. This is equally protected under state and federal law.
Retaliation occurs when an employer takes hostile actions against an employee for taking certain conduct or actions that an employer either disagrees with or that could create a burden or legal issue. The most common examples are when an employee files a complaint or lawsuit against an employer, and the employer punishes the employee by denying all vacation time (even if previously approved), demotes, terminates, or otherwise gives a more difficult schedule.
But retaliation can also come in other forms, including leaving for maternity leave, taking sick days for genuine illnesses, or even just disagreeing with a manager at a business meeting. If an employer or manager makes adverse or hostile employment decisions based on these actions, it could be unlawful retaliation.
Did Something Unfair or Bad Happen to You at Work? Let Us Review Your Workplace Discrimination Case
At Saffren & Weinberg, we understand that raising issues of employment discrimination can be very uncomfortable. Many people do not want to create issues where none exists. But the fact that you are searching for answers and found our page highlights the fact that you may have been the victim of employment discrimination or workplace prejudice.
This is why our workplace discrimination lawyers in Philadelphia offer:
- FREE and CONFIDENTIAL case consultations which are protected by attorney-client privilege, even if we do not take your case
- We will NEVER contact your employer to tell them you met with us unless you hire us to represent you
- We pay the upfront costs and disbursements of a lawsuit which are only reimbursed if and after we recover compensation for you
- Our legal fees are only paid after we recover compensation for you in a settlement, verdict, or arbitration award, meaning there is a no-win, no-fee guarantee.
Therefore, there is no upfront cost or financial risk to speaking with our Employment Attorneys in Philadelphia. Learn what we can do to help you by dialing (215) 576-0100 to schedule your FREE appointment to go over your case. You may also send us a private and confidential message through our convenient and easy-to-use “contact us” box available here.