Suffolk County Employment Discrimination

Attorneys for Victims of Employment Discrimination in Suffolk County

Suffolk County lies on the eastern part of Long Island and is home to more than 1.4 million New Yorkers. With an average family size of 3.36, many people have determined that Suffolk is an optimal place to raise a family. Even in suburban, family-oriented areas, however, employment discrimination may still exist. A Suffolk County resident who has experienced unlawful employment discrimination may have a right to seek redress in court.

You do not have to tolerate discrimination at work. New York workers are protected by numerous federal and state laws that prohibit unlawful employment discrimination. If you believe you are the victim of illegal employment discrimination, a Suffolk County employment discrimination lawyer at Philips & Associates can help you determine whether you may be entitled to compensation.

New York Employers May Not Engage in Unlawful Discrimination

There are many laws that prohibit discrimination on a number of personal characteristics. All of these laws have one underlying goal. They prevent employers from making a decision that affects the terms of an employee’s employment based solely on a protected trait, including race, gender, age, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.

Race discrimination is illegal in New York. Racial discrimination often occurs in similar fashion to gender discrimination. Employers may commit illegal race discrimination by denying employment benefits to an employee or group of employees solely on account of their race. For example, making all employees of a certain race work the night shift while giving favorable shifts to employees of another race may be illegal race discrimination. Employers may also commit this form of discrimination by creating a hostile work environment based on race. The use of racial slurs, jokes, or comments may contribute to the creation of an illegal hostile work environment.

New York employers are also prohibited from discriminating based on sexual orientation. Like other forms of discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination may take many forms. An employer cannot refuse to hire a qualified prospective employee based solely on her sexual orientation. Similarly, the use of bigoted slurs or jokes may create an illegal hostile work environment.

The Civil Rights Act and the New York Human Rights Laws Protect Workers

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the primary federal law that prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on a number of personal traits, including gender, race, age, and religion. This law gives employees who have suffered unlawful employment discrimination the right to bring suit in federal court after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The New York State Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on many of the same traits as the federal Civil Rights Act. The two New York laws provide two additional protections beyond the federal law. First, they apply to more employers than the federal law, since they extend to employers with fewer employees than employers covered by the Civil Rights Act. Second, the New York State Human Rights Law protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation. At this time, there is no federal law that prohibits this type of employment discrimination.

Entrust Your Case to Experienced New York Litigators

Employers who continue engage in anachronistic and illegal discrimination practices must pay for their decision to break the law. If your employer or a potential employer has illegally discriminated against you on the basis of your gender, race, or other protected characteristic, you can protect your rights. The Suffolk County workplace discrimination attorneys of Phillips & Associates have helped countless New Yorkers file discrimination complaints and seek compensation. Call (866) 229-9441 or visit our contact page to see if we can help you.

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