Employment Law
Fort Lauderdale Employment Law Attorneys
At The Amlong Firm in Fort Lauderdale, we get it. We are trial lawyers. Our opponents know we are willing to try cases, and we obtain settlements that are generally better than those obtained by lawyers with a reputation for being reluctant to go to court.
Our firm's founders, Bill Amlong and Karen Coolman Amlong, are board-certified by the Florida Board of Legal Specialization and Education in labor and employment law, civil trial law, and business litigation.
Our team of attorneys and paralegals is as diverse as our clients, and all are committed to providing sound counsel and powerful courtroom representation for clients dealing with challenges to their rights under federal and Florida employment law. Our team includes persons fluent in Spanish, French, Creole, Hindi and Chinese. For a consultation with an employment law attorney at The Amlong Firm, call 954.462.1983 or contact us by e-mail.
Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, and Gender Discrimination
While there are sexual predators in the workplace, most sexual harassment is simple discrimination. It is a way to put women down and make the workplace so unpleasant that women don't want to come back. It has very little to do with sex and very much to do with power. Once somebody refers to a part of the female anatomy, a woman professional can feel marginalized, and the entire conversation switches from her brain to her body.
Pregnancy Discrimination, Caregiver Discrimination, and FMLA Claims
Some of the most selfless actions of life — giving birth and caring for another person — can bring out some of the most selfish qualities in employers. When employers perceive that employees won't be spending as much time in the salt mines as they would like, some employers punish those employees by not promoting them, cutting their hours, or terminating them.
Race, Religion, and National Origin Discrimination
One thing that is unfortunately unique about South Florida is that it often seems that everybody hates everybody. At The Amlong Firm in Fort Lauderdale, our lawyers are sophisticated enough to recognize that race and national origin discrimination can exist amongst Hispanics (for example, between Cubans and Puerto Ricans) and amongst Blacks (for example, amongst Jamaicans, Haitians, and African-Americans) just as easily as between whites and persons of other races or national origins. Simply put, South Florida is a melting pot that hasn't melted. The South Florida workplace reflects that.
Age Discrimination
Many people in their 50s and 60s now were activists in college and have a heightened awareness of their rights. These Baby Boomers are not going to put up with being marginalized or discriminated against at work based on stereotypes about age. We stopped the Vietnam war; what makes you think we are not going to stop age discrimination?
GLBT Rights
While gays and lesbians are legion in South Florida, statutory protections are slow in catching up. In Florida workplaces, there is no state or federal protection based on sexual orientation. However, members of the GLBT community do have protections under some city and county ordinances and may have other rights if they face discrimination at work. Outside-the-box approaches to traditional common-law remedies (for example, battery, defamation, breach of contract) may also be of use. In the case of sexual harassment, same-sex predators are outlaws just as much as are straight sexual harassers.
Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims
No one should have to work in a job environment where illegal things are going on. Neither should anyone have to fear retaliatory discharge from his or her job if he or she reports something he or she sincerely believes is against the law - or even if he or she simply refuses to join in the lawbreaking. For some employers, however, the rule is "speak up and you will get slapped down."
Wrongful Termination and Employment Contract Disputes
At The Amlong Firm, we understand the law when it comes to wrongful termination claims. Our lawyers know how to read contracts to ensure that our clients are being promised what they think they are getting or to determine when a binding promise has been broken.
Wage-and-Hour Claims
Wage-and-hour claims can be very small - or very big. Many cases involve smaller claims, such as a boss holding up an employee's last $250 paycheck following a termination. That's not a lot of money to the employer, but it can be a lot of money to the employee who needs it to pay rent or buy groceries. Some can be very large, even national in scope, such as companies that wrongfully contend that an entire class of employees are not entitled to overtime. At The Amlong Firm, we handle both - because Congress and the Florida Legislature has assured that bosses who misbehave this way have to pay attorney's fees and litigation cost if workers have to sue to get what they are due.
Non-Compete Agreements
Using our in-depth understanding of contract and employment law, we review proposed non-compete agreements on behalf of employees to determine whether the terms are unduly restrictive. When our clients face unduly limiting covenants not to compete, we vigorously challenge them.
Employee Misconduct Defense
The Amlong Firm also represents public employees, licensed professionals and finance-industry professionals who are accused of misconduct or whose brokerage houses cheat or lie to them.
We Protect Employee Rights. Contact Us Today
We are ready to fight for you. Contact us by e-mail or call 954.462.1983 to schedule an appointment at our law office in Fort Lauderdale.
