Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers

Workplace Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Attorneys in Pennsylvania

Many people go to work hoping that they’ll be judged on their work performance, not personal traits such as race or national origin. It can be stressful to face workplace discrimination and harassment. Phillips & Associates is a recognized leader in litigation arising out of workplace harassment and discrimination.

Our Pennsylvania employment lawyers handle high profile cases, as well as other litigation. We’ve recovered millions of dollars in awards and settlements for workers harmed by discrimination.

Our firm handles a wide range of workplace discrimination and harassment claims, including those involving:

• Sex or gender
• Pregnancy
• Sexual orientation
• Sexual harassment
• Age
• Disability
• National origin
• Race
• Religion

Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Federal and Pennsylvania laws prohibit workplace discrimination. Discrimination occurs if you are treated adversely by an employer based on a protected characteristic such as race or sex. Adverse employment actions include firing, layoffs, disparate pay, harassment, forced retirement, or failure to promote. 

It can be difficult to know whether you’ve been discriminated against because of a protected characteristic. In most cases, managers and supervisors don’t come right out and say a decision was based on that characteristic. You should call the Pennsylvania employment attorneys of Phillips & Associates for a free initial consultation.

What Laws Affect My Case?

There are several federal laws that govern workplaces in Pennsylvania. Most apply to midsize or large companies. They protect different traits. For instance, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. 

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, a state law, protects some of the same characteristics in the workplace, but applies to smaller companies, those that have at least 4 workers. The state law also forbids workplace discrimination based on a worker’s age between the ages of 40-70, GED rather than high school diploma, use of a service animal and relationship or association with a disabled person.

Certain cities, such as Philadelphia, also have specific laws that protect particular characteristics. It’s important to call us as soon as possible after experiencing job discrimination. There are time limits to file these types of cases and an experienced lawyer on your side can make a huge difference to your case’s outcome.  

Workplace Sexual Harassment is Illegal

Both federal and state laws prohibit sexual harassment. Unfortunately, it still happens and can generate a hostile work environment or negatively affect your job. Harassment may be perpetrated by people of either gender.

Our firm handles all types of sexual harassment lawsuits including those that arise out of:

• Co-worker sexual harassment
• Supervisor sexual harassment
• Quid pro quo harassment