Employment Law

Employment law has been the core practice area of this firm for nearly a decade. During that time, we've represented hundreds of clients and won many millions of dollars for them.

You are encouraged to research the information below as you research our firm as well. You can also review our experienced team of professionals and contact us if we can assist you.

OUR LEGAL TEAM

Wrongful Termination

Pennsylvania is generally an at-will employment state, which means many employees can be fired for almost any reason, or even no reason at all. But there are important exceptions. A termination may be unlawful if it was based on discrimination, retaliation, protected medical leave, disability accommodation requests, wage complaints, whistleblowing, refusal to violate the law, or another legally protected reason.

If you were fired shortly after reporting misconduct, requesting leave, disclosing a disability, complaining about harassment, opposing discrimination, or asserting your workplace rights, you may have a claim.

Discrimination

Employers cannot treat employees differently because of protected characteristics. Discrimination can affect hiring, firing, promotions, discipline, pay, schedules, job assignments, leave, accommodations, and other terms of employment.

We represent employees in cases involving discrimination based on:

Race, color, ancestry, or national origin
Sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity
Age
Disability or perceived disability
Religion
Medical conditions or need for accommodations
Military or veteran status
Family, medical, or protected leave
Other protected categories under federal, state, or local law

Discrimination is not always obvious. It may appear through inconsistent discipline, harsher treatment than coworkers, sudden negative reviews, exclusion from opportunities, coded comments, or termination after an employer learns about a protected status.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is strictly illegal and should never be tolerated in the workplace. Unfortunately, too many men in positions of power still believe they can get away with it. Some examples of unlawful sexual harassment are:

Crude sexual jokes
Explicit storytelling
Unwanted touching
Inappropriate sexual advances
Sexual bullying or harassment
Quid pro quo promises in exchange for sexual favors

Employment Contracts

A good employment lawyer can help navigate through employment contracts, which can be very difficult to understand. These agreements are incredibly important to understand though, and the consequences can be severe. We commonly represent people who need help with agreements like these:

Non-Compete Agreements
Severance Agreements
Independent Contractor Agreements
Non-Disclosure Agreements
Relocation / Training Reimbursement Agreements

Read more about Employment Contracts here.

Disability Discrimination

Employees with disabilities, medical conditions, injuries, mental-health conditions, or work restrictions may be entitled to reasonable accommodations. Employers should not ignore accommodation requests, punish employees for requesting help, or force employees out because of medical limitations.

Common accommodation issues include modified schedules, medical leave, remote work, light duty, equipment changes, job restructuring, additional breaks, or reassignment. We help employees when employers refuse to engage in the interactive process, deny accommodations without proper consideration, or retaliate after a request.

Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims

Retaliation occurs when an employer punishes an employee for engaging in legally protected conduct. Retaliation can include termination, demotion, discipline, reduced hours, schedule changes, harassment, isolation, or other negative treatment after an employee asserts their rights.

Protected activity may include:

Reporting discrimination or harassment
Complaining to HR or management
Requesting disability accommodations
Taking or requesting medical leave
Reporting unpaid wages or overtime violations
Participating in an investigation
Reporting safety issues or illegal conduct
Refusing to engage in unlawful activity
Filing with the EEOC, PHRC, OSHA, Department of Labor, or another agency

Retaliation claims often depend on timing, employer knowledge, shifting explanations, and whether the employer treated the employee differently after the complaint.

Unemployment Compensation Appeals

Losing a job is stressful enough without also being denied unemployment benefits. We represent workers in Pennsylvania unemployment compensation disputes, including referee hearings, employer challenges, willful misconduct allegations, voluntary quit issues, overpayments, and appeals.

A UC hearing can be more important than many people realize. The evidence and testimony presented at the hearing may determine whether benefits are granted or denied.

FMLA and Medical Leave

Employees may have rights when they need time off for serious medical conditions, family medical needs, pregnancy-related issues, treatment, recovery, or caregiving responsibilities. Employers may violate the law when they deny protected leave, discourage employees from taking leave, count protected leave against them, or terminate employees shortly after leave is requested or used.

We handle cases involving FMLA interference, FMLA retaliation, medical leave disputes, return-to-work restrictions, doctor’s notes, attendance policies, and termination after medical absences.