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Amber Ortiz

Administrative Assistant

Amber Ortiz is an administrative assistant at the firm of Phillips & Associates. Ms. Ortiz is a valued member of the team. Ms. Ortiz is dedicated to providing assistance to attorneys when a worker has been treated unfairly by his or her employer and needs knowledgeable legal representation. If your employer took an adverse employment action against you, you’ll need a well-established law firm by your side. You should call assistant Amber Ortiz and the experienced New York City employment discrimination lawyers of Phillips & Associates.

Ms. Ortiz graduated from University at Albany, State University of New York with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology. Prior to joining Phillips & Associates, she worked as an ophthalmic office assistant, ophthalmic scribe, ophthalmic technician, peer mentor, and student assistant.

Ms. Ortiz is bilingual with native fluency in English and Spanish. She is proficient in Microsoft Office, iMovie, Adobe Acrobat, and Audacity.

Amber Ortiz Assists with Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits

Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee is treated unfairly with regard to a major employment decision because of a protected characteristic. Employment decisions may involve termination, promotion, hiring, demotion, or disparate pay. Harassment is one form of discrimination that causes pain and economic hardship. As we’ve seen with the #MeToo movement, sexual harassment is extremely common in workplaces. Both men and women may be held responsible for perpetrating sexual harassment. It can be committed by those of the same sex or those of the opposite sex.

Local, state, and federal laws provide different protections against discrimination and harassment. They are interpreted different ways by the courts. These differences make it critical to talk to a seasoned attorney. The team that works on your case must follow certain steps so that you can pursue damages in court. For example, in order to pursue a lawsuit under certain federal antidiscrimination laws you’ll need to first file a charge with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within the requisite time frame. It is crucial to retain a lawyer as soon as you believe you’ve been treated differently because of a protected characteristic.

Federal Laws

Federal employment discrimination laws include:

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  • Pregnancy Discrimination Act
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act
  • Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Equal Pay Act.

Federal laws apply to companies that are midsize or large. These laws protect different characteristics. Title VII protects race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. You might have a claim under Title VII, for instance, if you were not promoted because you are Asian American. The ADEA protects those who are forty or older from age discrimination. If you were laid off because you are 60 and the company is hoping to go in a direction with “fresh blood” or something similar, you may have a claim under the ADEA.

The New York State Human Rights Law protects a broader range of characteristics. Historically, it had certain limitations that made it less advantageous than city law. However, it was amended in 2019, such that some of these limitations no longer stand in the way of obtaining a full recovery. For instance, you may now be able to recover punitive damages when faced with egregious misconduct under state law. Additionally, the standard for harassment has been lowered under state law.

The New York City Human Rights Law has long been considered one of the most liberal anti-discrimination laws in the country.

It covers many different characteristics, including:

  • Color
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender
  • Gender Identity
  • Marital Status
  • National Origin
  • Pregnancy
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Sexual orientation.

Damages

If the firm’s attorneys can establish liability, they may be able to recover damages on your behalf.

Depending on the law and circumstances, these damages may include:

  • Back pay
  • Front pay
  • Emotional Distress
  • Medical expenses
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.

Retain an Experienced New York City Discrimination and Harassment Lawyer

Amber Ortiz strives to provide the attorneys of Phillips & Associates with the support needed to effectively pursue damages on behalf of workers. Whether your employer sexually harassed you or refused to provide a reasonable accommodation for your disability, you should call the seasoned New York City employment discrimination lawyers of Phillips & Associates. Our firm represents workers in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Nassau County, or Suffolk County. Call us at (866) 229-9441 or complete our online form.