The general rule of at-will employment allows the employer and the employee to terminate employment at any time. No reason is required. However, an employer may not terminate an employee for an illegal reason.
Illegal reasons include: violation of a contract, discrimination, and retaliation for engaging in protected activity. The Constitution, civil service laws and tenure acts may give job protections to government employees.
Numerous federal laws protect whistleblowers for reports of wrongdoing prohibited by specific laws. Examples include: the Dodd-Frank Wallstreet Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act , the Railway Safety Act and the False Claims Act.
The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) provides broad protection for private sector employees who suffer retaliation for whistle blowing and refusal to engage in activity prohibited by law or public policy. Several Pennsylvania statutes protect whistleblowers in particular situations. An employment lawyer can advise you about the laws applicable to particular activities in the place of employment.
Doris Dabrowski represents employees, small businesses and nonprofit organizations in claims of employment discrimination and retaliation prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA and ADAAA), the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Civil Rights Acts of 1873, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance.
Doris Dabrowski has negotiated numerous settlements to resolve claims of equal pay, failure to pay legally required wages and benefits, denials of promotion, harassment based on sex and disability and discriminatory termination.
Doris Dabrowski has defended employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the United States District Court. She has advised non-profit organizations, benefit plan fiduciaries and medical providers about personnel practices and benefit policies. A legal review of policies and practices to assure compliance with laws can prevent costly litigation.
She is on the employment law roster of the American Arbitration Association and National Arbitration & Mediation.
Her lectures and publications include:
- Stereotypes Affecting Women in Law, Perception and Punishment (Pennsylvania Bar Association, November, 2010)
- “I Wish I Could Fire You Right Now!” (Crescendo, October, 2008)
- Taxation of Awards and Settlements in Employment Cases (Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), 2008)
Contact Doris Dabrowski for advice before you take action that may impact the employment relationship for representation before agencies and courts.
