- New Jersey Sexual Harassment Lawyer
- New Jersey Retaliation Lawyer
- New Jersey Family and Medical Leave Lawyer
- New Jersey Hostile Work Environment Lawyer
- New Jersey Equal Pay Lawyer
- New Jersey Employment Discrimination Lawyer
- New Jersey Unpaid Overtime or Wages Lawyer
- New Jersey Severance and Separation Lawyer
- New Jersey Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyer
- New Jersey Wrongful Termination Lawyer
- New Jersey Contract Review and Negotiation Attorney
The Law Offices of Usmaan Sleemi consists of a team of experienced employment lawyers in Morris County, New Jersey, who are committed to attending to your legal interests. If you are seeking to make an employment-related claim or are in need of advice on employment law, our lawyers will always be there to serve you with passion. Contact a Morris County Employment Law Attorney from our firm for excellent legal counsel. At the Law Offices of Usmaan Sleemi, we believe that you are entitled to the compensation you deserve.
Our law firm serves employees and employers throughout Morris County, including Morristown, Florham Park, and Livingston. New Jersey employment lawyers at our offices bring vast experience representing workers and businesses in employment cases across the state. Contact our team today to discuss your situation with an attorney who focuses on New Jersey employment law.
FOR EMPLOYEES
Our experienced employment law attorneys at the Law Offices of Usmaan Sleemi provide quality representation and personal attention to every client, working determinedly to fight for your rights to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. We employ a team approach to each claim, and you can expect a greatly individualized experience. If you have been terminated from your job as a result of a job elimination program, corporate restructuring, layoff, or any other form of labor force reduction, you can count on us to safeguard your rights. If you are new to the job, we can also negotiate non-competitive agreements, restrictive agreements, and employment contracts. Our services cover:
- Equal pay
- Sales commissions
- Non-competitive negotiations
- Whistleblower protection
- Medical and family leaves
- Accommodations
- Wage and hour laws
- Unemployment appeals
- Disability benefits
- Severance negotiations
- Workplace harassment
- Hostile work environment
- Sexual harassment
- Retaliation
- Unlawful termination
- Discrimination
New Jersey law requires employers to pay a minimum wage and to provide time and a half for any hours worked beyond 40 in a week, and wage theft is especially common in industries like restaurants and hospitality where workers may not know their legal rights. If your employer has failed to pay you correctly, our employment lawyers can help you file a claim and recover the wages you are owed. Employees may also file discrimination claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before pursuing a lawsuit in court, and our team handles that process on your behalf.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Our Morris county employment lawyers advise business owners and executives to make sure lawful behavior and compliance in the workplace. Based on our extensive experience in representing employees, we offer unique support to employers in the following matters:
- Severance agreements
- Employment contracts
- Legal compliance
- Workplace investigations
- Employee guide books
New Jersey law requires 90 days notice before certain mass layoffs, and employers that fail to comply face significant legal exposure. When a mass layoff does occur, employers must pay severance to affected workers under New Jersey law, generally calculated at one week of severance pay per year of service. Corporations of all sizes benefit from working with employment lawyers who understand both state law and federal requirements so that compliance issues are addressed before they become costly claims.
Employment contracts and restrictive covenants like non-compete agreements must be carefully drafted to be enforceable in New Jersey, and a poorly written agreement can leave an employer without the protections they intended. Our team advises employers throughout Morris County on drafting and reviewing agreements, conducting workplace investigations, and responding to discrimination or harassment complaints before they reach a supervisor or external agency. Staying legally compliant protects not just the business but also the workplace culture that employers work hard to build.
NEW JERSEY EMPLOYMENT LAWS
Employers must comply with a wide range of employment laws, including laws that cover workplace civil rights, overtime, and minimum wage. Among the laws that employers need to observe include the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, which protects against discrimination against members of various groups.
Some employers are also required to observe federal employment laws, which protect employees who work in mid-sized or large organizations with a specific minimum number of employees. Federal laws include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination forbids employers from participating in discrimination concerning several types of employment activities, including employment privileges, conditions, terminations, layoffs, promotions, pay, hiring, interviews, recruitment, and job advertisements. An employment lawyer can advocate for Morris County employees who suffer from violations of this law. The law prohibits deliberate discrimination based on hereditary blood or cellular traits, military service, gender, sexual orientation, civil union status, domestic partnership status, marital status, sexual harassment, nationality, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, religion, creed, race, and color.
Wrongful Termination and At-Will Employment in New Jersey
New Jersey follows the at-will employment rule, meaning employers can generally fire workers at any time and for any reason, but that rule has important exceptions that protect employees from illegal termination. Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires someone for a reason prohibited by state or federal law, such as discrimination, retaliation for complaining about illegal conduct, or violation of an employment contract. If you believe your termination was unlawful, our employment lawyers in Morris County can review the circumstances and advise you on whether you have a valid claim.
Employees who are fired after engaging in protected activity, such as reporting sexual harassment, requesting a disability accommodation, or taking family or medical leave, may have a strong retaliation claim under New Jersey law. At-will employees can be fired at any time except for these illegal reasons, and the timing of a termination in relation to protected conduct is often significant evidence in building a case. Our attorneys have successfully represented workers in wrongful termination and retaliation claims throughout Morris County and across New Jersey.
Workplace retaliation can also take forms short of termination, including demotions, pay cuts, or a hostile work environment created after an employee files a complaint. These actions are just as unlawful as a direct firing when they are motivated by a protected complaint or activity. Contact our offices to discuss whether what you experienced qualifies as retaliation under New Jersey employment law.
Severance Pay and Severance Agreements in New Jersey
Severance pay is not always automatic in New Jersey, but it is required in certain circumstances such as mass layoffs under the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act. In voluntary severance situations, employers often ask employees to sign a severance agreement in exchange for a payment, and those agreements almost always include a waiver of the right to sue. Consulting an employment lawyer before signing any severance agreement is strongly recommended, since once you sign, you generally cannot go back and pursue claims you gave up.
Severance agreements can sometimes be negotiated to include additional benefits beyond the base payment, such as extensions of health insurance coverage or modifications to non-compete agreements and other restrictive covenants that could limit your future employment options. Employees who are eligible under New Jersey law may receive one week of severance for each year of service when a qualifying layoff occurs. Our employment lawyers in Morris County review severance agreements for clients and advise on whether the terms are fair given the circumstances of the separation.
Employment Law FAQs for New Jersey Workers
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act, and who is eligible?
The Family and Medical Leave Act allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for specific reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child, a serious personal health condition, or caring for a close family member with a serious health condition. To be covered, an employer must have at least 50 employees, and the worker must have been employed for at least 12 months and worked a minimum number of hours during that period. The FMLA also provides up to 26 weeks of leave in certain military family situations, and employers cannot retaliate against eligible employees for taking this leave.
What should I do if I experience discrimination or harassment at work in New Jersey?
If you experience discrimination or harassment in the workplace, document each incident as specifically as possible, including dates, what was said or done, who was present, and how the conduct affected your work. Report the conduct through your employer’s internal complaint process, since this creates an official record that supports any future legal claim and shows that the employer was on notice. New Jersey law protects employees from retaliation for complaining about discrimination or harassment, and our employment lawyers can help you file a claim with the EEOC or pursue legal action if the employer fails to address the conduct.
Can my employer require me to sign a non-compete agreement in New Jersey?
Non-compete agreements and other restrictive covenants are enforceable in New Jersey when they are reasonable in scope and duration and protect a legitimate business interest, but courts do not enforce agreements that are overly broad or that unfairly limit a worker’s ability to find new employment. Before you sign any agreement that restricts your future job options, it is worth having an employment lawyer review the language to understand what you are agreeing to. In some cases, these agreements can be negotiated before signing, and our attorneys advise both employees and employers throughout Morris County on drafting and challenging restrictive covenants.
What types of discrimination are illegal under New Jersey law?
New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, and several other protected characteristics. The law covers virtually all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotions, pay, job assignments, and workplace conditions. New Jersey law also protects employees from discrimination based on perceived membership in a protected class, meaning an employer cannot discriminate against someone based on what they believe to be true about that person even if the belief is wrong.
WORK WITH AN EXPERIENCED MORRIS COUNTY EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY
Sadly, employers don’t always observe the state and federal laws that regulate their business operations. That can be financially risky and emotionally agonizing to be harassed or discriminated against based on an individual trait that is out of your control. If you feel that you were a victim of harassment or discrimination in Morris County, our devoted employment attorneys can assist you in fighting for your rights. Contact us today by calling 973-866-9415 to learn more about your legal options.
Many employment disputes settle before going to trial, and our attorneys are skilled negotiators who work to reach favorable resolutions efficiently. Our fee structures are discussed clearly at the outset, and we offer both hourly and contingency fee arrangements depending on the nature of the employment case. Selecting an attorney who is familiar with local Morris County courts and New Jersey law gives you an important advantage at every stage of your claim.