You may find it challenging to figure out whether you have a claim for employment discrimination or harassment. You may feel embarrassed and humiliated or you may question whether what you experienced was bad enough to pursue a claim. You may be anxious about whether anyone will believe you and whether you’ll be blackballed in an industry you dreamed of joining. Our hardworking intake specialist Michelle Andrade is dedicated to carefully evaluating information and situations to determine whether they give rise to viable legal claims and what questions to ask to obtain relevant necessary information. Ms. Andrade is bilingual and fluent in Spanish and English. If you believe you may have grounds to sue for employment discrimination or harassment, you should consult our firm. The experienced New York City lawyers of Phillips & Associates may be able to represent you.
Ms. Andrade’s interest in the law is longstanding. She received an Associate’s degree in criminal justice from Kingsborough Community College. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Prior to joining Phillips & Associates, Ms. Andrade worked as a receptionist, legal assistant, and paralegal intake specialist at a few other law firms. Before that, she worked as a receptionist at a nail spa and as a host, server, and bartender at a steakhouse. Other positions in which she’s worked include sales associate, counselor-in-training for children, and aide. Her broad work experience allows her to understand the difficulties of workers in a wide range of industries and to sympathize with their struggles when they face abuse of power by their employers.
Ask an Employment Law Firm
Workplace discrimination and harassment are prohibited under federal Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, and other federal laws. Discrimination exists when a worker is treated adversely because he or she has a protected characteristic. For instance, if you are denied a promotion because you are pregnant, you may be able to bring a lawsuit under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which amended Title VII. Our attorneys may also be able to pursue damages for pregnancy discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law. If you are denied a reasonable accommodation, you may have a claim under the ADA. The specifics of your situation will determine which law is likely to afford the greatest relief. This is one reason Ms. Andrade’s job as an intake specialist with Phillips & Associates is so important.
Although they may read similarly to a layperson, federal, state, and local laws cover the contours of different rights. For instance, the New York City Human Rights Law covers workplaces that have at least four employees, but Title VII covers workplaces only when they have at least fifteen employees. Although your employer must provide you with a reasonable accommodation if you have a disability under federal, state, or local laws, the ADA defines “disability” a little differently than state or local laws do. The ADA, like Title VII, is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Similarly, a “hostile work environment” is defined differently under federal, state, and local laws. In many instances, state and local laws provide more expansive protections to workers with protected characteristics than federal law.
Ms. Andrade will ask you questions and consider the facts keeping in mind these specific laws so that the trial attorneys of Phillips & Associates will be able to have a clear understanding of your situation.
Hire Seasoned Legal Counsel
Our experienced New York City lawyers may be able to represent you when you’ve been discriminated against or sexually harassed by your employer. At Phillips and Associates, we represent victims of discrimination in companies located in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Suffolk County, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Nassau County, among other places. Fill out our online form or contact us at (866) 229-9441.
