Determined Employment Law Attorneys Stand Up for Iowa Workers
Fighting for your workplace rights from offices in West Des Moines and Ankeny
If you’ve been subjected to demeaning treatment at work, it’s easy to be disheartened. But it’s important to realize that in many cases, the weight of the law could be on your side. The knowledgeable employment law attorneys at the Hope Law Firm P.L.C. can evaluate your case and help you assess your options. If the abusive behavior you’ve encountered is illegal, we can help you pursue the appropriate remedies. You don’t have to be a victim. With our legal resources behind you, there’s hope for a positive outcome.
Capable plaintiff representation for workplace discrimination cases
Federal laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act, make it illegal for companies with a threshold number of employees to discriminate in hiring, firing, promotion, disciplinary decisions, pay, benefits, job assignments and various job conditions on the basis of:
- Age — Workers 40 years of age and older are protected under federal law. Iowa state law extends age discrimination protection to all workers.
- Sex — Disparate treatment based on one’s sex or gender is also prohibited. This includes two types of unlawful sexual harassment. A quid pro quo claim can be brought when a supervisor uses their position to pressure a worker into providing sexual attention. The second type of sexual harassment claim is a hostile work environment action. These cases arise when someone is subjected to inappropriate speech, conduct or images while on the job.
- Disability — The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s disability.
- Genetic information — The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits the use of genetic information in employment decisions since such information has nothing to do with a worker’s ability to do the job.
- National origin — Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate based upon an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.
- Pregnancy — The Pregnancy Discrimination Act protects pregnant women from discrimination and gives them the right to light duty, disability leave, and other accommodations or benefits.
Federal law also protects workers from discrimination based on their race, color or religion. Iowa state law adds additional protections on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation. If you suspect your civil rights may have been violated on the job, our employment attorneys are ready to evaluate your case and provide trustworthy advice.
Remedies available in employment discrimination cases
A victim of employment discrimination is eligible for damages, in the form of monetary compensation, and injunctive relief, such as a court order compelling corrective action from the employer. Common remedies in employment discrimination cases include:
- Lost wages
- The value of past and future lost benefits
- The value of lost promotion opportunities
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages, if an employer’s behavior was particularly egregious
- Court order for reinstatement after a wrongful termination
- Court order to promote the worker
- Attorney fees and expenses
Discrimination is an insidious practice that is often difficult to prove. An injured worker usually has to prove a pattern of abuse against members of a protected class, such as a refusal to hire, promote or provide equal pay to members of certain protected classes, or to deny such workers certain benefits, such as family leave. Our employment law attorneys work meticulously to assemble the evidence that could prove workplace discrimination.
Decisive steps to address wrongful termination throughout the greater Des Moines area
Most employer-employee relationships are “at will,” meaning either party can end the relationship for any reason or no reason at all. However, an employer cannot end an employment relationship for an illegal reason. Wrongful termination is the legal term for a firing that violates state or federal employment law, because it was done for an illegal purpose, such as:
- Discrimination — The worker was fired based on his or her identification with any of the protected classes mentioned above.
- Retaliation — The worker was fired for exercising a legally protected right, such as filing a sexual harassment complaint, filing a workers’ compensation claim, or acting as a whistleblower.
Workers who quit their jobs because an employer’s unlawful treatment made work unbearable may also have a case for wrongful termination. Being driven from your job is known as constructive termination and the law treats the incident the same way it would an actual firing. Victims of wrongful termination can seek the same remedies available in a discrimination case. As your advocate, we take decisive steps to assemble the evidence necessary to establish a case for wrongful termination. We work aggressively to prove your case and deliver positive results.
Contact an employment law firm that provides hope for harassed Iowa workers
The Hope Law Firm P.L.C. takes aggressive measures to help employees who’ve faced unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace. To schedule a free consultation in West Des Moines or Ankeny, call 515-255-3559 or contact our office online. On urgent matters, we will do our best to see you within 24 hours.
