Employment Law

One of our employment lawyers at Saffren & Weinberg could represent you if something happened to you at work that was inappropriate or unlawful. Whether you believe you have been the victim of sexual harassment or workplace discrimination, wrongfully terminated, or if you think you are owed unpaid wages like overtime, we can help. Most victims of workplace misconduct or unlawful actions of their employer or coworkers may be entitled to compensation for their damages. But it takes an experienced employment lawyer in Philadelphia, PA, to handle these types of cases. Employment law is a broad field encompassing different state, federal, and sometimes local laws. Not every type of lawyer has the skill, knowledge, or is otherwise capable of handling these types of claims.

This is why if something terrible happened to you at work, you should contact Saffren & Weinberg. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients who suffered damages due to another person or business’ negligent or intentional conduct. If you believe you have been the victim of workplace sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, unpaid wages or overtime, or have otherwise been retaliated against, call for a FREE consultation to learn how we can protect your rights under Pennsylvania law.

Workplace Sexual Harassment

One of the most unacceptable forms of workplace misconduct is sexual harassment. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), approximately 7,500 sexual harassment claims are filed annually in the United States. There are generally two types of workplace sexual harassment claims, which are the following:

• A hostile work environment is when an employee is subjected to an inappropriate workplace involving abusive, offensive, and other unacceptable conduct such as crude jokes, sexual references, or other sexually related remarks.
• Quid pro quo is when an employer, supervisor, or another coworker makes job-based decisions based on your willingness to engage in romantic or sexual favors, such as going out on a date for a raise.

Any instance of workplace sexual harassment should be reviewed by a lawyer, like one of our experienced employment attorneys in Philadelphia, PA, at Saffren & Weinberg. Our compassionate team is here waiting to speak with you about your claim.

Employment Discrimination

When an employer or coworker engages in misconduct or blatant discrimination based on a “protected class” like race, color, gender, religion, disability, age, pregnancy, or national origin, it could be employment discrimination. In addition, discrimination could also come in the form of retaliation for reporting misconduct or other issues to an employer, law enforcement, governing agency, or other entity.

According to the EEOC, there are almost 73,000 charges of workplace discrimination filed each year. Most of these charges involve multiple allegations of discrimination across different protected classes. Of the EEOC filings, the number of times a protected class or retaliation claim is included in a charge are the following:

• Retaliation – appeared in almost 54% of all charges
• Race – appeared in 33% of all charges
• Gender – appeared in 32%
• Disability – appeared in 33%
• Age – appeared in 21%
• National origin – appeared in almost 10%
• Color – appeared in nearly 5%
• Religion – appeared in nearly 4%, and
• Other claims (Equal Pay Act or Genetic Information, almost 2% of all charges).

NOTE: the percentages add up more than 100% because most charges include multiple grounds for alleged discrimination.

Anytime you believe you have been the victim of workplace discrimination, please call to speak with a knowledgeable employment lawyer in Philadelphia, PA, like ours at Saffren & Weinberg.

Workplace Harassment

Many different forms of workplace harassment could occur. Generally, these claims can be challenging to prove without the support of an experienced employment lawyer. This is because most forms of workplace harassment do not have any evidence unless the harassment arises from written correspondence or is witnessed by others.

Some forms of workplace harassment that may be actionable under state and federal law include the following:

• Derogatory comments
• Insults and ridicule
• Pranks and mean jokes
• Racial discrimination or epithets
• Unfair job scrutiny
• Being singled out or critiqued in front of others
• Sexual harassment
• Unfairly being targeted, and
• Other unfair or inappropriate conduct against you that is offensive, demeaning, demoralizing, or otherwise unacceptable.

Retaliation at Work

You are protected under federal, state, and local law from inappropriate retaliation in the workplace. This means if you report an incident to your employer or local authorities about something that transpired while on the job, it is illegal for an employer or another coworker to take any retaliatory action against you. Examples of retaliation include termination, but often are more subtle, such as longer hours, more undesirable shifts, assigned unwanted tasks, decreased pay, and denials of vacation time for no apparent reason.

An employee who believes they are the victim of workplace retaliation should contact our experienced employment attorneys to learn how we can help protect your rights to compensation under the law.

Wrongful Termination

Although Pennsylvania is an at-will state, meaning that an employer can terminate an employee with or without cause, that does not mean that an employer can terminate an employee with impunity. If the grounds for termination are discriminatory or based on sexual harassment, retaliation, or any other protected right, an employee may have a valid claim under state or federal law.

Unpaid Wages or Overtime

Pennsylvania law makes it clear that employers must pay their employees a fair wage, including overtime if an employee is entitled to overtime. An employer cannot garnish wages to impose penalties or discrimination, harass, or otherwise intimidate an employee. If you have not been fairly paid your wages, or if you believe you are entitled to overtime but are not being paid overtime by your employer, ask our employment lawyer in Philadelphia, PA, for help with your claim.

Saffren & Weinberg is Here to Help

Did something happen to you at the workplace? If you believe that your rights have been violated or are still being violated, ask our compassionate and experienced employment lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, for help. We offer FREE consultations and advise you on your rights under state, federal, or local laws. Call today by dialing (215) 576-0100 or use our “contact us” box to send us a message.