Joseph Myers is an experienced Long Island employment lawyer at Phillips & Associates. He is dedicated to fighting for the rights of workers. Mr. Myers graduated in 2010 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Classical Civilization. He graduated with Honors from the George Washington University Law School in 2014, where he was a Thurgood Marshall Scholar. During law school, he interned for the Honorable Susan G. Braden at the United States Court of Federal Claims. He also interned with the General Services Administration at the Office of Inspector General.
Mr. Myers began his career in litigation by working on complex multi-week arbitration. Subsequently, he worked as an associate at an employment law firm, managing more than 25 wage and hour and employment discrimination lawsuits. Prior to joining Phillips & Associates, Mr. Myers served as a senior associate at another employment law firm, where he also handled wage and hour and employment discrimination cases. Mr. Myers is admitted to the New York State Bar and the Virginia Bar.
Federal, state, and local laws prohibit discrimination based on many protected characteristics. Employment discrimination takes many different forms. It can involve terminating, demoting, paying differently, harassing, or otherwise mistreating an employee in a way that affects the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, when the adverse employment action is taken based on a protected characteristic.
The New York State Human Rights Law protects workers regarding a broad range of characteristics, including national origin, sex, sexual orientation, color, race, age, creed, predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, familial status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, domestic worker status, and criminal history. If you faced discrimination because you have a protected characteristic, you may be able to pursue damages under the New York State Human Rights Law. For example, if you were terminated because your employer discovered that you are an Orthodox Jew and is prejudiced against Orthodox Jews, you may have a religious discrimination claim under the state law. For another example, if you were demoted because you sustained disabling injuries in an accident, you may have a disability discrimination claim. The state law applies to all employers, regardless of size. In most cases, it provides greater protection to employees than does federal law, but it is important to consult a knowledgeable attorney like Mr. Myers about your specific situation.
There are several federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on various characteristics. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, for example, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It applies to employers with at least 15 employees. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits age discrimination against people who are at least 40 years old. It applies to employers with at least 20 employees. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability discrimination. Like Title VII, it applies to employers with at least 15 employees.
Queens County and Kings County are technically part of Long Island. They are also part of New York City and subject to the provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law. The city law has been interpreted liberally by courts and provides enormous protections to New York City employees. In the past, it has been more protective than state or federal laws. However, recent changes to the state law may make it equally protective in many situations.
Hire an Experienced Long Island Attorney
Employment discrimination can cause both economic and emotional harm. Whether you were harassed because of your race, or you were demoted because you complained about sexual harassment in a Long Island workplace, you should hire one of our experienced employment attorneys to represent you. At Phillips & Associates, we are dedicated to fighting for workers’ rights. Call us on Long Island at (866) 229-9441 or complete our online form.
