Employment Law

Patrick Whalen has years of experience in representing employees in all the below areas of employment law. He has aggressively handled many employment disputes and has been successful in achieving well-deserved settlements against countless large companies and State and local governmental entities and agencies.

Employment law covers many issues in the workplace, including:

Wrongful Termination. An employer cannot terminate an employee for an unlawful reason, such as retaliation or discrimination. In other words, you cannot be fired because you lodged a complaint against your employer or on the basis of your race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, religion, or disability.Discrimination & Harassment. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), which is one of the strongest such laws in the Nation, prohibits discrimination and bias-based harassment based on age, race/color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability and a number of other protected categories. The NJLAD prohibits discriminating against you in many aspects such as job recruitment, interviews, hiring decisions, promotions, suspensions, terminations, compensation, and conditions.

Whistleblowing. In New Jersey, you have the right to “blow the whistle” on your employer if you reasonably believe that the employer is violating the law or engaging in illegal activities. The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) protects an employee from any retaliation (including suspension, discipline, and termination) for blowing the whistle.

Hostile Work Environment. This happens when the words and/or actions of another at work make it impossible for you to do your job and involves you being targeted based on some protected category or identifier (like, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, etc..). Typically, after an employee reports the unwelcomed behavior and the employer ignores or fails to address the issue, the employer is responsible for fostering a hostile work environment.

Breach of Contract. An employment contract is designed to protect an employee. However, employees sometimes suffer harm if the employer breaches the contract, such as termination without just cause or failure to pay a commission or bonus.

Wage & Hour Violations. There are many ways an employer can violate wage and hour laws. Some of the most common violations in New Jersey include the following:

  • Unpaid overtime
  • Unpaid vacation, holiday, or paid-time-off (PTO) days
  • Failing to pay commissions or bonuses
  • Failing to adhere to state minimum wage rules
  • Unauthorized paycheck deductions

Patrick has represented police officers, teachers and school staff, municipal employees, and other individuals who have been the victims of retaliation because they exercised their rights or were denied due process or equal protection of law.

Contact the Law Firm today to determine if your employer has violated and/or ignored your legal rights. Patrick and his Staff will seek justice for you.