Employment Lawyers
Charlotte | Huntersville | Hickory
Protecting Your Rights in the Workplace
Cases We Handle
Standing Up for Employee Rights
We’re told that if we work hard, good things will come our way. While there’s certainly debate over how true to reality this is, one thing we all agree on is that we should be respected in the workplace. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. In fact, there’s a good chance most people will experience some form of inappropriate or illegal activity during the course of their careers. This can range from violations of disability law to sexual harassment in the workplace, but regardless of the specifics, you have employee rights that shouldn’t be violated. If you believe this has happened to you, an employment law lawyer in North Carolina may be able to help.
At Harman Law, we know what it means to protect employee rights. After all, our law firm is a business itself. Unfortunately, we frequently witness other organizations blatantly violate the rights of their workers. Some of our clients have experienced discrimination, and others have been bullied during the course of their employment. We’ve worked with an array of clients who have found themselves the victims of every employment law violation you could think of. By representing employees who have been wronged, we hope to hold employers who act negligently and improperly accountable for their actions. Contact us today to learn more.
What Constitutes Employment Discrimination?
Of all violations of employment law, discrimination may be the most prominent. Discrimination means that someone is treated differently or less favorably for a specific reason. Not all forms of discrimination amount to illegal acts. For instance, a person could not file a North Carolina employment discrimination lawsuit because they were given a bad delivery route due to the boss not liking who they supported in the Super Bowl. However, being treated differently because of your race, color, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), disability, national origin, genetic information, or age (if you’re 40 or older) is a violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Discrimination could occur in a variety of ways. Perhaps the women in an office received different employment contracts than their male counterparts. Maybe an employer offered smaller payouts in a severance agreement to workers of a particular race. Even refusing to make reasonable changes in the workplace to accommodate individuals with disabilities or particular religious beliefs could be a violation of state and federal law. If you find yourself facing discrimination of any type, a North Carolina employment attorney can help you better understand your rights and the legal options available to you. Contact Harman Law today for a confidential consultation.
Employment Disputes Our Law Firm Assists With
At Harman Law, our team of employment law lawyers in Charlotte can help workers who feel their rights under state and federal law have been violated. You will encounter a law firm here and there that might only offer services for specific violations of your rights. For instance, some legal practices have made entire careers dealing with only discrimination claims. At Harman Law, we take a more expansive approach. We’ve seen how violations of employment law can affect innocent people, so we strive to work within a variety of practice areas so we can handle any employment rights issue that our prospective clients may encounter.
These include:
- Wrongful termination: North Carolina is a right-to-work state. This means you can be fired for no reason, but it doesn't mean you can be fired for any reason. Wrongful termination could entitle you to damages.
- Sexual harassment: Any form of sexual harassment is illegal in North Carolina, but these cases must be filed in federal court. A Charlotte employment lawyer can help in this endeavor.
- Hostile work environment: Workplace conduct or discriminatory speech can create an uncomfortable setting that makes an individual dread coming into work. This is illegal.
- Discriminatory practices: Employers cannot discriminate against someone based on their race, religion, color, nationality, age, sex, genetic information, handicap, and other protected statuses.
- Wage and overtime disputes: Employers must follow the law regarding paying their employees. Victims may be entitled to more than just unpaid wages.
- Civil rights: Both workers and employers have certain rights to protect them from individuals, organizations, and governments. Violation of such rights can lead to legal action.
- Whistleblower protection: Employees who reveal company secrets that are illegal or improper have certain protections under the law.
- Employer retaliation: An employer cannot punish an individual for engaging in legally protected activities. Such retaliation could include pay deductions, demotions, and termination.
- Contract review and negotiation: Business owners should seek the help of Charlotte employment lawyers before creating employee contracts, and job applicants should have a professional review such a contract before signing.
- Family and Medical Leave Act: The FMLA provides time off for certain emergencies. Employment lawyers can help resolve disputes over this law.
Whether you’ve been wrongfully terminated or are facing Medical Leave Act violations, the legal team at Harman Law is ready to help. Our employment law lawyers in Charlotte strive to ensure North Carolina workers are protected. We have represented clients with both federal and state cases, so regardless of what you’re going through, we have the experience necessary to assist. In fact, we’re so committed to ensuring fair treatment of workers that we even offer assistance to companies who need help understanding North Carolina employment law and implementing appropriate policies. We’re here to help, so contact us today for a confidential consultation.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for Employment Lawsuits?
Employment disputes can obviously involve a variety of issues. While individual unpaid overtime claims against small businesses may not seem equivalent to widespread violations of disability law, the fact is that all these breaches of employment rights are inappropriate. Of course, separate cases do have their own unique concerns — and one of these is the statute of limitations on employment law violations. All federal and state regulations have varying deadlines for when a case must be filed, and understanding these deadlines is integral to ensuring your rights are protected.
For instance, cases involving federal discrimination should be brought forward within 90 days. Similar cases on the state level have a statute of limitations that lasts three years. The three-year deadline also applies to wrongful termination claims. Employment lawyers in Charlotte can help you better understand the specifics of your case, but the important thing you should know is that procrastination is never wise. Even if you have several years in which to file a case, waiting only gives time to your employer to cover up evidence or otherwise damage your case. Our practice focuses on ensuring our clients get justice as quickly as possible, so reach out to our North Carolina employment attorneys at Harman Law today.
Can Employment Lawyers Help Business Owners?
When people seek out legal representation for employment law, it almost seems as if employees are the only parties involved. After all, they’re often up against large businesses that seem indifferent to their rights. In reality, many employers want to avoid these issues. An inability to do so can turn expensive very quickly due to litigation and punitive legal measures. In many instances, the biggest mistakes are made because an employer simply did not recognize that certain rights were being violated. This is why it’s so important for employment law lawyers in North Carolina to occasionally work with employers.
At Harman Law, we know that the best way to protect employee rights is to ensure that employers treat their workers right from the start. This means taking things like harassment seriously and ensuring equal pay for equal work. It means staying within the confines of the law with non-compete agreements and avoiding any decision that could possibly be perceived as an adverse action. Our North Carolina employment lawyers have extensive experience in protecting the rights of employees. This means that — if you’re an employer who takes these rights seriously — we’re available for HR counseling, employment litigation, and legal counseling.
Contact an Employment Lawyer in North Carolina Today
There was a point in American history when workers had few rights. Things like workplace discrimination, unpaid wages, child labor, and other improper actions were rampant. Fortunately, employees now have many more legal rights than they once did. However, this isn’t a situation where the police are simply going to step in and tell your employer to follow the law. If your rights have been violated, it’s contingent on you to take action. Speaking with a North Carolina employment law attorney is often the right first step in this endeavor. Having a legal advocate on your side will help ensure you’re treated fairly.
At Harman Law, we’ve spent years acting as employment attorneys for citizens of North Carolina. We understand how important it is — particularly in today’s economic climate — to have a job and a steady income. When this is put in jeopardy because your rights are being violated at work, you might feel like you have no option other than to just “deal with it.” Fortunately, this is far from the truth. Whatever the legal issue you’re going through, our employment law lawyers in North Carolina are ready to help. Contact us today by calling (704) 286-0947 to schedule a confidential consultation. We’re ready to advocate on your behalf.
