As an employee, it is in your best interests to have a general understanding of employment law. If you believe your rights are being violated in any way, you can then consult with an experienced lawyer and possibly take legal action against your employer. However, there are numerous myths floating around that you should be aware of before you decide to file a claim.
The following list contains some of the most common misconceptions about employment law:
- Your employer cannot fire you without a reason: This may be the most prevalent myth about employment law. In the state of New Jersey, an employer may fire an employee at any time and for any reason. An employer cannot, however, terminate an employee based on race, creed, national origin, age, handicap, gender, sexual orientation or marital status.
- If your employer acts like a jerk, you can sue him or her: It is not illegal for an employer to act like a jerk to his or her employees. While you may be angry that your boss isn’t polite or considerate, you can only take legal action against him or her if he harasses you or treats you poorly because of your race, creed, national origin, age, handicap, gender, sexual orientation or marital status.
- Your employer must warn you before terminating you: False. There is no law that requires your employer to provide you with a warning before firing you. Again, since New Jersey is an at-will employment state, your employer can fire you at any time and for any reason as long as it is not based on your belonging to one of the protected classes mentioned above.
Neil H. Deutsch has been practicing law for over 35 years and is known as a skilled negotiator in employment and discrimination law. He believes in a bottom-line approach of risk analysis and cost effectiveness for his clients. "Case evaluation is something we take seriously," says Mr. Deutsch who seeks top net dollar for his…
Bruce L. Atkins is the Senior Managing Partner at Deutsch Atkins P.C., a prominent plaintiff employment law firm in the tri-state area. Mr. Atkins believes employees’ rights should be aggressively pursued when they’ve been wrongfully dealt with by their employers. He brings this philosophy to his practice when considering each case and its potential outcomes.…
Michael K. Fortunato is a Partner at Deutsch Atkins, P.C. His practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling for employees and executives, including matters involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, severance negotiations, employment agreements, and restrictive covenants. Michael represents clients in litigation and administrative proceedings involving state and federal employment laws including the…
Carly Skarbnik Meredith, Esq. is a Partner at the firm. Carly has focused her career exclusively in the field of employment law. She has a plethora of experience representing both employees and employers with their employment issues, needs, and concerns. She believes representing both employees and employers has made her an extremely well-rounded client advocate.…
R.J. Prifitera joined Deutsch Atkins, P.C. in October of 2023. R.J. represents employees in wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing matters. Prior to joining the firm, R.J. received a B.A. from the University of Delaware in 2018. Thereafter, he attended and graduated Seton Hall University School of Law in 2022 where he received the Monsignor…
