Posted on June 10, 2025 in Discrimination & Retaliation

Most people expect work to come with occasional stress or disagreements. But when the workplace becomes so toxic that it interferes with your ability to do your job, you might be dealing with a hostile work environment that can rise (or stoop) to the level of discrimination – at which point it can have legal implications.

A hostile work environment occurs when you are subjected to unwelcome conduct based on a legally protected characteristic, such as race, sex, age, religion or disability. If this sounds familiar, you may have grounds to take legal action. An experienced Montgomery County, MD employment law attorney can advise you on your rights to pursue legal action for discrimination. 

What Is a Hostile Work Environment? 

In Maryland, federal law and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA) protect employees against discrimination and harassment in the workplace based on protected characteristics. This protection applies to employers with fifteen or more employees and prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, compensation, promotions, and other aspects of employment. 

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 Posted on May 23, 2025 in Wrongful Termination

Employment in the United States is usually "at will," meaning that an employer can generally terminate an employee without cause or warning unless there is a contract in place stating otherwise. However, if an employer terminates an employee for a reason that is prohibited by law, such as because of discrimination, that is wrongful termination. The type of conduct that constitutes wrongful termination is determined by employment law. If you have been wrongfully terminated, you can take legal action against your former employer. An experienced Fairfax, VA employment law attorney can advise you regarding whether you have been wrongfully terminated.

What Is Wrongful Termination?

Wrongful termination occurs when your employer terminates you for an illegal reason that is prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Some examples of wrongful termination include termination based on discrimination, for taking medical leave to which you are entitled under the Family and Medical Leave Act- FMLA, or in retaliation for whistleblowing. For example, if your employer terminates you because of your race or ethnicity, that is illegal and would be considered wrongful termination.

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 Posted on May 09, 2025 in Employment Law

One of the most important laws protecting American workers is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It gives qualifying employees a legal right to take time off from work to deal with certain family or personal needs. If you need to take leave from your work, this law offers crucial protections. One of the ways you can empower yourself as an employee is to know about this law and understand a bit about the rights it gives you and what it obligates employers to do. An experienced Baltimore, MD FMLA employment law attorney can advise you on your rights under FMLA.

How Does FMLA Protect Employees?

FMLA requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide their workers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid but job-protected (and health insurance-protected) leave under certain circumstances. These include giving birth and caring for a newborn child, nursing an immediate relative who is sick, receiving a child for adoption or foster care, healing from a serious health condition that leaves the employee unable to work, and in situations related to a family member’s active duty.

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 Posted on April 24, 2025 in Discrimination & Retaliation

Discrimination in the workforce is not only illegal; it is also socially frowned upon. Yet one persistent type of discrimination that is arguably the last socially "acceptable" form of discrimination is ageism. However, this does not make it okay, nor does it make it legal. Age discrimination is prohibited by federal law, and there is even a specific law that protects against it called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). If you have been the victim of age discrimination at your place of employment, an experienced Columbia, MD age discrimination employment lawyer can review your case to determine whether you have an age discrimination claim in court. 

What Laws Protect You Against Age Discrimination in Maryland?

First and foremost, the ADEA protects you against age discrimination in favor of younger workers if you work for any private company employing twenty or more people and are over the age of forty. This law prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of age with respect to almost every aspect of employment, including firing, compensation, hiring, promotions, and demotions. 

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 Posted on April 10, 2025 in Employment Law

Whether you work on your feet or at a computer, you are expected to need a break at work from time to time or for lunch, especially if you work a full eight-hour day. Indeed, it is often customary for employees to take a lunch break at work, and for employers to provide one. However, custom is not law, and in Maryland, employers are generally not legally required to provide lunch or other breaks to employees. Federal law follows a similar framework. However, employers in Maryland do have to provide pay for breaks in certain circumstances. If you are uncertain about your rights to take a break or receive compensation for a break you took, contact an experienced Potomac, MD employment lawyer.

What Is the Federal Law On Employee Breaks?

Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to give employees a break for lunch or otherwise. However, if an employer offers employees short breaks of under 20 minutes, those are considered work hours that must be paid by the employer.

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 Posted on March 27, 2025 in Sexual Harassment & LGBTQ Rights

If you identify as LGBTQ+ and have experienced or are experiencing discrimination based on your sexual orientation or gender identity at work, you may feel stressed and concerned that the discrimination could affect your finances and career. You are also not alone: Fifty-three percent of LGBTQ+ individuals have reported facing discrimination based on their orientation. Thirty-six percent have made decisions about their work based on experiences of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

If this is your situation, the first step to protecting yourself from sexual orientation discrimination at work is obtaining as much information about your legal rights and protections as possible, and then formulating a plan to address this issue. To do so, it is highly advisable to speak to a Bethesda, MD employment law attorney experienced in representing LGBTQ+ individuals in workplace discrimination matters.

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 Posted on March 11, 2025 in Sexual Harassment & LGBTQ Rights

Sexual harassment is a significant issue in the workplace, accounting for just under thirty percent of all harassment charges filed with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Workplace sexual harassment at work is illegal and actionable, meaning you may make a claim in court if it is not properly managed. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, our experienced Rockville, MD employment law attorney can advise you on the steps you should take to protect yourself legally.

What is Workplace Sexual Harassment?

Employees have the right to work free of unwanted sexual comments, physical contact, or sexual advances. Employees who experience sexual harassment are likely to face emotional suffering and may face fear of retaliation and lost wages if they report the harassment. There are two types of sexual harassment at work:

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 Posted on February 28, 2025 in Sexual Harassment & LGBTQ Rights

On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, a jury in Winchester Circuit Court awarded our client over $313,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. Following the verdict, our client is also entitled to petition the court for her attorneys' fees and costs. It was a privilege to represent our client, who demonstrated remarkable courage in standing up against unlawful sexual harassment in the workplace.

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 Posted on February 25, 2025 in Discrimination & Retaliation

A federal employee who reports workplace wrongdoing is called a "whistleblower." Whistleblowers play a vital role in protecting the integrity of the federal government and strengthening the rule of law when they report illegal activities in the federal government. They also must act with bravery as they may potentially put their jobs and reputations on the line.

Federal law provides protections for federal employees who whistleblow. An experienced Maryland whistleblower retaliation defense lawyer can advise you on your rights and provide legal assistance if you face retaliation for whistleblowing.

What is Whistleblower Retaliation?

Retaliation happens when an employer fires, harasses demotes, or in any other way punishes you because you have reported misconduct.  The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) protects certain current and former employees against retaliation for reporting fraud, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, health and safety violations, abuse of authority, and more. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) extends this whistleblower protection to federal contractors and grant recipients. The U.S. Department of Labor enforces additional whistleblower and anti-retaliation laws.

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 Posted on February 12, 2025 in Discrimination & Retaliation

If you have found out that you are pregnant, this can be an exciting time full of activities to prepare for the baby’s arrival. Yet, for some people, a positive pregnancy test may also bring anxiety about how you may be treated when your employer finds out you are pregnant.

Thankfully, the law has protections in place forbidding discrimination during pregnancy. An experienced Maryland pregnancy discrimination attorney can advise you on your rights during this time and represent you if you believe you are facing discrimination during pregnancy.

What is Pregnancy Discrimination?

If your employer has treated you differently because you are pregnant by, for example, demoting or firing you, denying you reasonable accommodations related to your pregnancy or childbirth, or treating you unfairly, this may constitute pregnancy discrimination. 

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