Experienced Morris County Employment Discrimination Lawyer Protects Employee Rights
An attorney who fights all forms of workplace discrimination in New Jersey
At Kevin T. Kutyla, Esq. in Succasunna, I champion employee rights and am committed to helping clients use federal and state employment laws to protect themselves from discriminatory practices. I represent clients working in both the private and public sectors who believe they have been subjected to unfair treatment at work. Many of my clients live or work in Morris County and Sussex County, but I handle employment law matters throughout New Jersey.
What is employment discrimination?
To put it simply, employment discrimination is unfair treatment of an employee (or a job applicant) based on these defining characteristics:
- Race
- Gender identity
- Religion
- Disability
- National/ethnic origin
- Age
- Sexual orientation
- Pregnancy
- Genetic information
If a negative employment action was taken against you because of any of these traits, you may have the ability to pursue an employment discrimination claim under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) or such federal laws as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Equal Pay Act.
Recognizing workplace discrimination
I help workers in Morris County and Sussex County who have experienced a wide range of adverse employment actions as a result of discrimination, including:
- Wrongful termination (firing)
- Failure to hire
- Not providing equal pay
- Failure to promote
- Not complying with overtime laws
- Demotion
- Creating or tolerating a hostile work environment in which illegal discrimination occurs
- Creating human resources policies that have a discriminatory impact on certain groups of employees
If you believe that you’ve been the victim of any of these practices, it is important to speak with a lawyer who can assess the situation and tell you how best to proceed.
The process of suing for workplace discrimination
Under federal and New Jersey state law, you must complete a number of steps before proceeding with an employment discrimination lawsuit. Some of these steps make workers uncomfortable, but they are necessary. As an attorney, I am always happy to walk you through the steps and provide advice at all stages.
These are the basic steps required to begin an employment discrimination case:
- Make a complaint within your company — Speak with your human resources manager and explain the situation, making sure to follow the procedures required in your employee handbook (if there is one). Doing so gives the company the opportunity to correct the issue and puts management on notice that you are asserting your legal rights.
- File an administrative claim — If the company fails to address your discrimination complaint, the next option is to file a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. You may alternatively file a lawsuit directly in court, but you can’t proceed on both paths at once. The administrative body will process the claim and may require attempts at mediation or other resolution. If there is no resolution or decision in your favor, you will be granted permission to proceed with a lawsuit.
- File a discrimination lawsuit in state or federal court — A plaintiff claiming illegal discrimination is entitled to a jury trial and may be awarded back pay, damages for pain and humiliation, and possible reinstatement. Attorney fees may also be awarded. Choosing where and when to file is a decision you and I will come to after discussing your unique situation.
As your employment law attorney, I can advise you and guide you at every stage of the process.
Results of a successful lawsuit
Employees who are victorious in their employment discrimination claims can receive several possible remedies. Successful claims can lead to back pay, reinstatement, raises, and other benefits the court deems appropriate.
Arrange a confidential consultation with a New Jersey employment discrimination attorney
Based in Succasunna, Kevin T. Kutyla, Esq. helps employees protect themselves against all forms of employment discrimination. You can get a confidential initial consultation by calling 862-354-8931 or by contacting me online. I represent workers in Sussex County, Morris County and all over New Jersey.