Arizona employment attorneys know how challenging it can be for workers to fight back against a company that violates labor laws and Arizona work laws. Employment law attorneys are ready to fight to protect your rights as an employee and pursue the compensation you deserve.
If your employer in Arizona has wronged you, hiring an employment attorney can help you stand up for your rights. We will apply our skills, experience, and vast resources as we seek the justice you deserve.
Call us today to discuss your options.
Wrongful Termination
Employment in Arizona is considered at-will, which means your employer has the right to terminate you for any reason or no reason at all, unless you work under a contract. A termination is considered wrongful only if it violates a law, such as the Civil Rights Act. It is illegal for your employer to terminate you based on your race, nationality, sex, gender, pregnancy, age or disability. If you believe you were wrongfully terminated, contact an employment lawyer today to find out if you have a case.
Discrimination
Discrimination happens often in workplaces throughout Arizona. Discrimination in the workplace can be open and obvious or hidden and subtle. If you believe you have been discriminated against, our highly skilled lawyers can help determine whether you may have a case and explain your best legal options.
Sexual Harassment
As an employee, you have the right to be protected from sexual harassment. Some employers allow harassment to go unchecked. Some employers commit harassment themselves.
Examples of sexual harassment in the workplace include:
- A boss or coworker flirting with you after you have asked that person to stop
- A coworker repeatedly asking you out after you declined
- Repeated and unwelcome sexual advances
- Unwelcome comments about your physical appearance
- Touching or brushing up against you in a sexual manner
- Touching oneself in a sexual way so that others can see
- Making sexual insults
- Photos, screensavers, or emails of a sexual nature
- Asking for sexual favors in exchange for career advancement
- Derogatory remarks regarding sexual orientation
- Sexually suggestive gestures
Employers should be held accountable for failing to respond to acts of sexual harassment. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment at work, contact an employment lawyer to discuss your options.
Unpaid Overtime & Unpaid Wages
As an employee, you deserve to be paid for your time and efforts. State and federal laws set rules regarding the payment of workers. If you quit or were terminated, your former employer is required to pay you everything you are owed, including wages, overtime, bonuses and commissions. You may also be owed for sick pay, vacation pay, paid time off and severance pay. Unfortunately, many employers fail to pay their employees everything they are owed.
An employment attorney will help you pursue the remedies that state and federal laws make available to you.
Workplace Retaliation
If you have been a victim of workplace retaliation, hire the experienced employment law attorneys at Matt Fendon Law Group to fight for your rights.
According to the law, your employer cannot retaliate against you for:
- Filing a discrimination claim
- Participating in an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation
- Testifying on behalf of a coworker who has a discrimination claim
- Filing a harassment claim
- Reporting unlawful company activities internally or to a government agency
FMLA Violations
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides protection for workers who are too sick to perform their jobs. The law also protects persons who need to care for a sick family member. FMLA gives you up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to address a health crisis without fear of losing your job. You don’t have to take all 12 weeks, nor do those 12 weeks have to be taken consecutively.
When you return from medical leave, your employer must place you in the same position you held before you left. If this is not possible, you must be placed in a position with comparable responsibilities and pay.
Severance Agreement Review
Many employers provide terminated employees with a severance agreement. The language and terms of a severance agreement can be complex and confusing. Before you sign anything, have an experienced Arizona employment attorney review the entire agreement.
Contract Disputes
Some employees have a contractual relationship with their employer. These employees are not considered to be at-will and may have a claim if they have been fired in violation of the contract’s terms.
An employment lawyer helps clients enforce their contractual rights through all phases of the dispute resolution process, including pre-claim negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and, if necessary, trial.
Understanding Arizona Labor Laws
Arizona follows the at-will employment doctrine, which means an employee without a contract may be terminated for any reason or no reason at all – but not for the wrong reason.
The Arizona Employment Protection Act (AEPA) provides protections and legal remedies for private-sector employees against wrongful termination. The AEPA protects employees from discharges that are contrary to public policy. It also protects whistleblowers from retaliation.
An employee in Arizona may not be terminated in retaliation for disclosing that the employer has violated an Arizona statute. This disclosure must be done in a reasonable manner. The disclosure is protected only if made to the employer or a government agency. Disclosures made to a journalist, for example, are not protected by the law.
In addition to whistleblower protection, the AEPA protects employees from several other types of retaliation:
- A worker may not be terminated in retaliation for refusing to commit an illegal act.
- A worker may not be discharged in retaliation for choosing not to join a union.
- A worker may not be discharged in retaliation for exercising:
- Workers’ compensation rights
- Voting rights
- Victims’ leave rights
- Right to be free from coercion to purchase goods
- Right to be free from the extortion of fees
Talk to an Employment Attorney in Arizona Now
We know that you need the help of a skilled employment attorney, and we will do our best to get you the compensation you deserve.
To discuss your options, call us today.
