Discrimination Lawyer in NJ

Discrimination in the workplace is a troubling and potentially disabling experience for an employee. Sexual harassment can leave you feeling embarrassed and violated. A hostile work environment can leave you feeling anxious, depressed and fearful of losing your job. 

If you are suffering discrimination, a hostile work environment, harassment at work, have been passed over for a promotion or a raise, or you have been wrongfully terminated, our New Jersey employment lawyers can protect you. In Bergen County and throughout the State of New Jersey, workplace discrimination, harassment and hostility are illegal and your employers can be held liable and be compelled to give you compensation.      

At Cowen & Jacobs, we have the experience and knowledge to handle your employment case. Whether your employer is discriminating based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, marital status or military service, we will represent you to the best of our ability. Our employment lawyers in New Jersey will work with you to fight the injustice of any type of discrimination such as sexual harassment, hostile work environment, being passed over for promotion or wrongful promotion. 

Our attorneys will fiercely advocate for your rights, whether that involves pursuing alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation or arbitration, or by taking the matter to trial. Put our proven experience to work for you. Contact Cowen and Jacobs today at 201-525-0025 to learn more about how we can help you. 

Discrimination Takes Many Forms

Employment discrimination can take many forms. Some are obvious, such as refusing to hire a person based on their gender or the color of their skin. Other forms of discrimination may be more discreet, such as discrimination based on pregnancy or age.

Our employment law firm in New Jersey represents clients who have been wrongfully terminated or suffered harassment based on age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability. We also have significant experience handling sexual harassment cases, retaliation cases, and whistleblower cases related to these issues.

Employers May Have Discrimination Policies

Employers often have discrimination policies, some of which are in your employment contract if you are a contract employee or in the employment handbook. If you feel these policies have been violated, bring us a copy of your contract or your employee handbook. Our attorneys will thoroughly examine the documents and determine the best way to pursue your claim.

Age Discrimination in the Workplace

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (the ADEA) protects employees over the age of 40 from workplace discrimination and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (the LAD) protects employees from age discrimination.
Are you one of the 79 million Baby Boomers who has been fired or demoted for your age? Have you been kicked upstairs on some pretext based on discrimination rather than based on reality? In this economy, many Baby Boomers have not only lost much of their retirement savings, they have also been demoted or fired. Additionally, their children, the Gen-X-ers are in their forties to mid-fifties, and are now vulnerable to age discrimination as well.

If you have suffered the humiliation and emotional pain from age discrimination and you believe that you have a viable claim, please call our New Jersey discrimination lawyers at 201-525-0025 to evaluate your potential case.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace is widespread across the U.S. and in New Jersey.  There are basically two types of sexual harassment:

Quid pro quo harassment – an employer or a supervisor demands sexual favors in return for a promotion, keeping a job or some preferential treatment.

Hostile work environment – supervisors or co-workers engage in behavior of a sexual nature that is degrading, demeaning, and/or embarrassing.

Sexual harassment is a type of discrimination that is protected under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and under Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act. Sexual harassment comes in all forms. Sometimes the harassment is subtle such as an employer or supervisor sending memos, texts or e-mails with sexual content, lewd jokes and photos, unwelcome sex talk, offensive comments about a women’s body, requests for favors in exchange for employment advancement. 

At other times, the harassment is blatant such as unwelcome groping and touching, graphic details about one’s sex life and outright demands for sex or else. Employees often feel helpless as though they are in an inferior position and will lose their jobs if they do not comply with a superior’s demands.

No one should be subjected to working in a hostile environment. Employers should be held accountable. The experienced employment discrimination lawyers at Cowen & Jacobs have practiced employment law since 1990 and have represented both men and women in sexual harassment claims. We have represented many individuals whose lives were destroyed by sexual harassment and hostile work environments with successful outcomes. You can reach our lawyers at 201-525-0025.

Have You Been Fired or Refused Promotion Due to Your Gender?

Are you paid less than men for the same job in your place of employment? Even though we are living in the 21st Century, the glass ceiling exists as does rampant gender discrimination.

Our New Jersey employment attorneys are women who understand the challenges women face in the workplace. They have represented many women who have been treated unfairly in the workplace because of their gender and outdated ideas about a “woman’s place.”

Contact our attorneys today at 201-525-0025 if you believe that you have a gender discrimination case.

Pregnancy and Discrimination at Work

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) prohibits discrimination against pregnant women. The LAD defines “pregnancy” as “pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to childbirth, including recovery from childbirth.” 

To avoid discriminating against pregnant employees, NJ employers must make reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees in the workplace such as scheduled breaks, a modified work schedule, etc. 

Call us at 201-525-0025 if you believe that you have been discriminated against at work due to your pregnancy. We can help.

Employment Discrimination Based on Race or Ethnicity

The New Jersey LAD and several Federal statutes including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit racial discrimination in the workplace. An employer may not treat an employee unfavorably because of his or her race or ethnicity and may not hire or fire an employee based on race.

If you have been treated unfairly, forced to work in a hostile environment, unjustly passed over for a promotion or a raise in salary, unreasonably denied requests other employees have been granted and you believe you are a victim of racial discrimination, please contact our attorneys at 201-525-0025. We have represented many employees who have suffered racial discrimination in the workplace for over 30 years.

Employment Discrimination Based on Religion

The LAD prohibits discrimination based on religion in the workplace. It prohibits employers from refusing to hire or fire you based on your religion and they cannot ask you questions about your religion in the hiring process or how you practice your religion. 

If you have suffered from religious bias in the workplace, call us at 201-525-0025 and we will help you.  

Employment Discrimination Based on Disability

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) prohibits an employer from discriminating against physically and mentally disabled persons as does the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act. If you have been treated unfairly at work because of a disability and your employer has denied your requests for “reasonable accommodations” for your disability, our Hackensack, New Jersey discrimination attorneys can help protect your rights and obtain compensation for you. Please call us today at 201-525-0025.