recovered for our employment law cases
- Workplace discrimination is illegal in Brooklyn under federal, state, and city laws.
- Any unequal treatment at work based on a protected characteristic may constitute unlawful discrimination.
- Federal law includes race, sex, religion, age, disability status, pregnancy status, and more as protected characteristics, while New York law also explicitly includes protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and weight.
- The trusted Brooklyn workplace discrimination lawyers at Joseph & Norinsberg can help you build a strong case to hold your employer accountable and get justice.
Workers in Brooklyn and throughout New York have the legal right to a workplace free of discrimination. Unfortunately, unequal treatment based on race, ethnicity, sex, disability status, religion, age, and other protected characteristics is still all too common in Brooklyn workplaces.
The experienced employment law attorneys at Joseph & Norinsberg are committed to getting justice for employees in Brooklyn who are facing discrimination at work, whether because of their race, religion, sex, gender identity, or any other characteristic. Contact us today for a free consultation with our trusted Brooklyn workplace discrimination lawyers.
Table of Contents
- What Is Workplace Discrimination Under New York Law?
- Types of Workplace Discrimination Cases We Handle in Brooklyn
- How Do I Know if I Have a Workplace Discrimination Case?
- What Types of Compensation Are Available in a Brooklyn Workplace Discrimination Case?
- Our Successful Workplace Discrimination Case Results
- How a Brooklyn Workplace Discrimination Lawyer Can Support Your Case
- What Our Workplace Discrimination Clients Are Saying
- Get Trusted Legal Help for Workplace Discrimination in Brooklyn Today
What Is Workplace Discrimination Under New York Law?
Workplace discrimination is unequal or unfavorable treatment based on an employee or job seeker’s protected characteristics, such as their race, sex, or disability status. You don’t need to be wrongfully fired to experience workplace discrimination in Brooklyn—you can be paid less than other co-workers, given undesirable assignments, have your hours cut, or endure a hostile work environment.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides broad federal protections to most workers, while New York’s state and city human rights laws go even further, applying to a wider range of employers and including additional protected categories.
In general, we have a fundamental right to feel safe and not be discriminated against in the workplace, and it covers a whole host of areas—from gender to race to age to disability. It is the cornerstone of what separates us as a country. We really cherish these rights, and as employment lawyers, we advocate for our clients to make sure that their rights are protected.
Types of Workplace Discrimination Cases We Handle in Brooklyn
Our team handles all manner of workplace discrimination cases in Brooklyn, including the following:
Race and National Origin Discrimination
Workers can experience discrimination based on race or national origin, especially in workplaces with little to no diversity. Discrimination can take many forms, including the following:
- Unequal treatment compared to other co-workers of different races, such as being passed over for a promotion in favor of a less-qualified candidate
- Workplace harassment, including offensive language, crude jokes, or slurs
- Systemic bias in hiring and other employment decisions, including promotions and raises
Religious Discrimination
Brooklyn workers are protected from discriminatory treatment based on religion. Employers must grant reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious beliefs, including dress code exemptions and breaks for observance.
Gender Discrimination
Federal, New York State, and New York City laws prohibit gender-based discrimination, including disparities in pay, promotions, or job assignments; hiring or firing practices; exclusion from meetings or training opportunities; and derogatory comments or behavior, as well as sexual harassment.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination
While the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted Title VII to apply to LGBTQ workers, New York’s state and city human rights laws explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Pregnancy Discrimination
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable medical accommodations to pregnant employees, including modified tasks or flexible work schedules when returning from maternity leave. It’s also illegal to ask a job applicant if they plan on having children or to punish an employee for being pregnant.
Age Discrimination
The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits unequal treatment against workers 40 and older based on their age. New York state and city laws expand these protections to employees 18 and older.
Disability Discrimination
Employers cannot legally discriminate against employees or applicants with disabilities. They also must provide reasonable accommodations to employees and cannot retaliate against a worker for requesting them.
Weight Discrimination
As of a November 2023 amendment, the New York City Human Rights Law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on weight or aspects of their physical appearance.
Retaliation and Hostile Work Environment
Federal law prohibits employers from subjecting employees to a hostile work environment, or a workplace where unwelcome and offensive behavior based on protected characteristics is pervasive. It’s also illegal to retaliate against an employee for reporting or complaining of workplace discrimination and harassment.
How Do I Know if I Have a Workplace Discrimination Case?
To prove a workplace discrimination claim, you must show that you experienced unequal treatment at work and demonstrate that the primary cause for that treatment was a protected characteristic.
Clear, direct evidence of intentional discrimination is rare, but it’s possible to build a strong claim using communications, witness testimony, circumstantial evidence, and patterns of past behavior by your employer. A knowledgeable Brooklyn workplace discrimination lawyer can help determine whether you have a valid claim.
What Types of Compensation Are Available in a Brooklyn Workplace Discrimination Case?
In addition to employment-related remedies such as reinstatement, Brooklyn workplace discrimination victims can recover a variety of damages to be made whole for their experiences:
- Back pay for lost wages if the discrimination led to lost employment or opportunities
- Front pay to compensate for job loss and other damages if the victim can’t be reinstated
- Compensatory damages for discrimination-related emotional distress
- Punitive damages to penalize employers for intentionally malicious or immensely negligent behavior
- Attorney fees and other legal costs
Title VII limits the amount of some damages you can recover for a workplace discrimination claim based on the size of your employer, but there are no caps on how much you can receive under New York State law.
Our Successful Workplace Discrimination Case Results
The following are examples of some of the results we’ve obtained for our clients:
- $3 Million: Our client was a hedge fund executive who was terminated due to disability discrimination. We were able to substantially increase his severance offer due to the threat of arbitration.
- $1.425 Million: Our client faced repeated racial discrimination and workplace mockery. He was ostracized by management, suffered a significant drop in earnings, and was denied an extension of his work visa—all while being restricted by a non-compete agreement.
- $1.35 Million: We represented 12 individuals facing discrimination and retaliation based on race and gender in the workplace.
How a Brooklyn Workplace Discrimination Lawyer Can Support Your Case
Workplace discrimination cases can be hard to prove without representation by a knowledgeable legal advocate. The Brooklyn workplace discrimination lawyers at Joseph & Norinsberg have more than 75 years of combined experience fighting for workers’ rights throughout New York City and its surrounding areas.
We have a deep understanding of state, local, and federal employment laws, giving us the perspective needed to efficiently navigate your case through the legal process. We pride ourselves on our relentless work ethic, meticulously preparing cases in advance to give our clients the best chance of success.
What Our Workplace Discrimination Clients Are Saying
The Joseph & Norinsberg team is passionate about fighting for the underdog. Here are some of the testimonials we’ve received from clients we’ve helped:
Get Trusted Legal Help for Workplace Discrimination in Brooklyn Today
Standing up to workplace discrimination might feel helpless, but you don’t need to fight alone. Our tenacious Brooklyn workplace discrimination lawyers are ready to fight relentlessly to protect your rights, hold your employer accountable, and get the justice you deserve.
To get started, contact us online or call 212-227-5700 today for a free consultation.
- New Jersey Age Discrimination Lawyers
- New Jersey Disability Discrimination Lawyers
- New Jersey Gender Discrimination Lawyers
- New Jersey Hostile Work Environment Lawyers
- New Jersey Manager Workplace Harassment
- New Jersey Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers
- New Jersey Retaliation Lawyers
- New Jersey Severance Lawyers
- New Jersey Wage and Hour Lawyers
Settlement against a hospital
We successfully fought for 25 cleaning company employees who were underpaid due to their employer’s unethical timekeeping methods.
Settlement against an international investment firm for age discrimination and wrongful termination
We secured compensation for New Jersey factory workers who were denied sick leave benefits guaranteed by the law.