New York City Employment Law

Attorneys at Akin & Smith are experienced lawyers who understand both local and federal discrimination laws.  Our law offices understand employment discrimination laws in New York, handling both court cases as well as acting as employment mediators.

Employment Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on religion, national origin, race, color, or gender. The law's prohibitions include harassment or any other employment action based on any of the following:

• Affiliation: Harassing or otherwise discriminating because an individual is affiliated with a particular religious or ethnic group.
• Physical or cultural traits and clothing: Harassing or otherwise discriminating because of physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics, such as accent or dress associated with a particular religion, ethnicity, or country of origin.
• Perception: Harassing or otherwise discriminating because of the perception or belief that a person is a member of a particular racial, national origin, or religious group whether or not that perception is correct.
• Association: Harassing or otherwise discriminating because of an individual's association with a person or organization of a particular religion or ethnicity.

Employment Harassment

Employers must provide a workplace that is free of harassment based on national origin, ethnicity, or religion. They may be liable not only for harassment by supervisors, but also by coworkers or by non-employees under their control.

Employers should clearly communicate to all employees - through a written policy or other appropriate mechanism - that harassment directed toward any racial, ethnic, or religious group is prohibited and that employees must respect the rights of their coworkers. An employer also should have effective and clearly communicated policies and procedures for addressing complaints of harassment and should train managers on how to identify and respond effectively to harassment even in the absence of a complaint.

New York City discrimination laws mandate that in employment, people must be dealt with on an equal basis regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, physical or mental disability, and other personal characteristics.  Please consult with our employment and labor attorneys at Akin & Smith about anti-discrimination laws that protect your right to be treated equally at your workplace.