New Jersey Employment Lawyers

Expertise Matters

A lot of people think that proving unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation is difficult because, in most cases, you have to prove what is in the employer’s head — meaning that the employer intended to act unlawfully. Proving unlawful discrimination, illegal retaliation, unlawful harassment or even wrongful termination in New Jersey is not difficult for the employment attorneys at Lenzo & Reis. That is because Chris Lenzo and Claudia Reis don’t just know how to find evidence of illegal workplace conduct, they know how to piece it together and explain it in a way that is compelling to company lawyers, insurance adjusters, and, most importantly, judges and juries. That’s the kind of employment attorney you need and deserve.

They Understand the Harm Caused by Illegal Workplace Conduct

Chris Lenzo and Claudia Reis understand that for many employees, work is not just about a paycheck but that it provides a sense of pride, self-worth, and accomplishment to many New Jersey employees. That is why being treated unlawfully at work, whether that means being discriminated against, retaliated against, harassed, being paid less, and/or being denied leave or accommodations, is so emotionally draining and hurtful. The employment lawyers at Lenzo & Reis understand that and take it into consideration in their representation of clients, how they deal with their client’s former employers, and how they value cases.

They Handle all Types of Employment Claims

As employment lawyers in New Jersey, Chris Lenzo and Claudia Reis are strong advocates for New Jersey employees facing workplace discrimination, harassment at work, and/or unlawful employment retaliation. They also regularly handle cases involving wrongful terminations, unpaid wages, unequal pay, interference with medical leaves, retaliation for requesting or taking medical leave, failure to accommodate, failure to pay, unequal pay, and even various contract claims. The following are some of the types of claims that they regularly handle in New Jersey.

Whistleblower Retaliation

Retaliation against whistleblowing employees is illegal in New Jersey. Specifically, the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), which is also known as the New Jersey whistleblower law, makes it clear that it is illegal to retaliate against employees who oppose, disclose and/or refuse to take a part in actions they believe violate the law.

Other Retaliation

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and various federal laws make it clear that it is unlawful to retaliate against employees who take various actions intended to oppose, thwart, and/or stop workplace discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of certain characteristics.

The New Jersey employment attorneys at Lenzo & Reis regularly handle all types of unlawful retaliation claims.

Employment Discrimination and Workplace Harassment

Unlawful employment discrimination and illegal harassment happens when employers treat New Jersey employees less favorably because of a particular characteristic. In New Jersey, those legally protected characteristics are age, gender or sex, pregnancy, disability, race or color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, domestic partnership status, civil union status, marital status, certain cellular or blood traits, genetic information, refusal to undergo or disclose genetic tests, or service in the armed forces. If an employer treats a New Jersey employee differently because of any of those characteristics, that employer is violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 (LAD), as well as potentially certain federal laws such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and/or the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Sexual Harassment

The “me too” movement has made clear that employees, at work, do not have to tolerate sexual advances, requests or demands for sexual favors, promises of job promotions or advancement in exchange for sexual favors, jokes of a sexual nature, being ogled at, and/or other conduct of a sexual nature. That conduct, at work, is not only a bad idea but it is, also, against the law.

Hostile Work Environment / Other Harassment

The Law Against Discrimination (LAD), the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), and various federal laws make it illegal to treat employees poorly because of a protected characteristic or because they took actions to oppose either unlawful discrimination or harassment or engaged in protected whistleblowing. To constitute a hostile work environment, the harassing conduct must be either sufficiently pervasive or severe to interfere with someone’s work performance and/or create an offensive and/or intimidating working environment.

Wrongful Termination Claims

While not every firing is unlawful, the Law Against Discrimination (LAD), New Jersey’s whistleblower law (CEPA), and various federal laws prohibit firing employees because (1) of a protected characteristic, such as those described above, or (2) the employee blew the whistle on certain workplace misconduct, or (3) the employee took actions to oppose workplace discrimination or harassment or supported victims of such unlawful conduct.

In New Jersey, experienced and qualified employment lawyers, such as those at Lenzo & Reis, provide your best chance at obtaining justice and being properly compensation for your loss when you are subjected to illegal harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, retaliation and/or unlawful termination.

Equal Pay Claims

Paying employees less because of their age, gender or sex, pregnancy, disability, race, nationality, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic violates the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act and is against the law.

Leaves

New Jersey employees may be entitled to job protected leaves for various reasons. For example, certain New Jersey employees are entitled to take job-protected leave to obtain treatment and/or recover for their own medical condition and/or to care for certain family members with medical conditions under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the New Jersey Family Leave Act (FLA). New Jersey workers are, generally, also entitled to take leave as an accommodation for medical conditions, disabilities, and/or pregnancies under the Law Against Discrimination (LAD). Also, New Jersey’s Earned Sick Leave Law provides all part-time and full-time New Jersey workers with a limited amount of accrued paid time off for specific reasons.

Accommodations

State and federal laws, such as the Law Against Discrimination (LAD), Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees and pregnant employees as well as for employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs. Employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so imposes an undue burden on the employer.

Lawyers who solely practice employment law in New Jersey understand that employees requesting medical leaves and/or accommodations to be able to perform the essential functions of their jobs are asking for nothing more than to which they are legally entitled. The attorneys at Lenzo & Reis also understand that a failure to accommodate and/or grant medical leave can have devastating consequences to New Jersey workers. That’s why we fight to get you the leave and accommodations you need or the appropriate compensation when your employer refuses to do the right thing.

Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements and Employment Contracts

The attorneys at Lenzo & Reis regularly review, analyze, explain, and negotiate non-compete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, arbitration agreements, and employment contracts. They also regularly litigate claims involving non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and breach of employment contracts.

Executive Representation

The New Jersey employment lawyers at Lenzo & Reis know that executive representation requires, not only finesse, but a sophisticated understanding of negotiation techniques, business and industry knowledge, compensation arrangements, and exit strategies to maximize client outcomes and protect professional reputations. Lenzo & Reis’ workplace attorneys apply that multifaceted approach in New Jersey to every executive claim they handle.

Not every lawyer in New Jersey can interpret employment law issues in a contract. Leaving your employment contract, noncompete and/or non-solicitation agreement to be interpreted by just any attorney can be the costliest mistake you make. Selecting a qualified employment attorney to handle your contract questions and negotiations will save you heartache down the road.

How Can Lenzo & Reis Help You?

If you have questions about whether your workplace rights have been violated or don’t know where to turn if they have been violated, you should contact New Jersey’s employment attorneys, Lenzo & Reis, by phone at (973) 845-9922 or by completing our convenient on-line form by clicking here.