Are you being harassed at work in Queens, NY?
At Bloom Fudali, we are trusted hostile work environment lawyers serving clients across Queens and the surrounding area.
If you are being harassed at work in Queens because of your national origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, or another protected characteristic, you have the right to hold your employer accountable. Our Queens, NY hostile work environment lawyer can document the harassment, press your employer to stop it, and pursue compensation for lost wages and emotional distress.
Our attorneys have handled discrimination and harassment claims for more than 30 years. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation.
Hostile Work Environment Lawyer Queens, NY
A hostile work environment claim arises when a worker is harassed because of a characteristic the law protects. The harassment changes what it is like to do the job. New York State law protects 19 characteristics, including national origin, citizenship or immigration status, creed, race, sex, and sexual orientation. The person responsible can be a manager, a coworker, or a customer.
Queens is one of the most diverse places in the country. Census data shows that 47.6% of Queens residents were born outside the United States. A majority, 55.4%, speak a language other than English at home. Harassment over accent, language, and heritage is a frequent part of the cases we see from Queens workplaces. Many Queens residents also commute to jobs elsewhere in New York City. We represent them wherever the harassment took place.
Types of Hostile Work Environment Cases We Handle in Queens
Our Queens hostile work environment attorneys represent employees in restaurants, hospitals, airports, retail stores, construction sites, and offices. We take on employers of every size, from small businesses to national corporations.
- National origin and accent harassment. Mocking an employee’s accent, punishing employees for speaking other languages, and calling coworkers by ethnic nicknames are common examples. The EEOC treats remarks about accent and ethnicity as forms of national origin harassment.
- Racial harassment. Slurs, nooses, racist drawings, and similar displays create an openly hostile workplace. Our firm filed suit for an employee who found a Klan-style hooded sheet hung over his workstation.
- Religious harassment. Comments about head coverings, mockery of prayer or fasting, and pressure to work in violation of religious practice fall in this category. We document each comment and how management responded to it.
- Anti-Asian harassment. Asian American workers faced a rise in anti-Asian workplace discrimination during the pandemic, including slurs and blame for the virus. We document each incident and the employer’s response.
- Workplace sexual harassment. Sexual comments, propositions, and explicit images are among the most common sources of hostile work environment claims.
- Workplace sexual assault. Unwanted touching and other physical assaults at work support both harassment and assault claims.
- Harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Repeated jokes, refusal to use a transgender employee’s name, and hostility after an employee comes out at work can all create a hostile workplace.
- Harassment by customers and clients. Service workers in Queens deal with the public all day. An employer that hears complaints about a customer’s harassment and does nothing can be held responsible.
- Disability and age harassment. Mocking a worker’s disability or making repeated comments about an older employee’s age can form the basis of a claim.
Why Choose Bloom Fudali as My Hostile Work Environment Lawyer in Queens, NY?
Decades of Discrimination and Harassment Litigation
Lisa Bloom began her career at a small civil rights firm representing victims of discrimination. She later spent nine years representing employees full time. Her early cases included a race discrimination claim for a police officer reassigned after speaking out. She also represented a worker whose coworkers locked him in a cage as a “joke” because of his disability. Ms. Bloom founded our firm in 2010 to continue that work.
Arick Fudali handles the firm’s New York matters and has served as co-lead trial counsel with Ms. Bloom in jury trials. He is admitted to practice in New York and works from our office in New York, NY.
Recoveries for Employees Facing Harassment and Discrimination
Bloom Fudali has recovered millions of dollars for employees through verdicts and settlements. Our results include:
- $35.5 million for a client subjected to sexual harassment
- $10.1 million in an employment matter
- $1.8 million for a woman paid less than a male colleague for the same work
- Resolutions against corporations for racial harassment and for deadnaming and mocking transgender employees
We represent employees on contingency. There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
What Is Important to Understand About a Hostile Work Environment Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Hostile Work Environment Cases
Harassment cases often involve losses that do not appear on a pay stub. An employee who has been mocked for years over an accent or faith may develop anxiety, depression, or trouble sleeping. Those harms are compensable. Treatment records from a therapist or doctor help establish the extent of the emotional harm. A hostile work environment claim in Queens, NY can seek:
- Wages and benefits lost because of the harassment, including after a resignation the harassment forced
- Compensation for emotional distress, supported by testimony and treatment records
- Punitive damages where the conduct was especially malicious
- Attorney’s fees and costs
Liability usually rests with the employer. It depends on who did the harassing and what the employer did after it knew. Individual harassers can also be named in many cases. Our Queens hostile work environment lawyers identify every party responsible before filing.
What Is the Hostile Work Environment Case Timeline?
Our Queens, NY hostile work environment attorneys check filing deadlines at the first meeting, because each forum sets its own. A complaint with the state Division of Human Rights may be filed within three years for conduct on or after February 15, 2024. The NYC Commission on Human Rights accepts complaints within one year, or three years for gender-based harassment. A lawsuit under state or city law may be filed in court within three years. A federal charge with the EEOC must be filed within 300 days.
After the deadline is confirmed, we gather evidence and decide with you where to file. Many cases resolve through negotiation once the employer sees the evidence. Others move into discovery, where managers and coworkers are deposed, and then toward mediation or trial.
What Should You Bring to Your Hostile Work Environment Consultation?
Bring copies of anything that shows what was said or done and who knew about it.
- Messages, emails, notes, or photos showing the harassment
- A list of incidents with approximate dates and witnesses
- Your complaint to a manager or human resources, and the response
- Performance reviews from before and after the harassment began
- Your employer’s handbook or anti-harassment policy
The consultation is free and confidential. Our hostile work environment attorneys in Queens will tell you your deadlines and the claims available to you.
What Are Important Aspects of a Hostile Work Environment Case?
- The link to a protected characteristic: Harassment is unlawful when it is tied to who you are, such as your origin, faith, race, or sexual orientation.
- The pattern: Repeated comments over months can support a claim even when no single remark seems serious on its own.
- The employer’s notice: Reports to supervisors, human resources, or a hotline show the employer knew. Silence afterward is evidence too.
- Retaliation after a complaint: A sudden schedule change, discipline, or termination after you report harassment can support a separate retaliation claim.
- Your job status: An at-will employee can still bring a harassment claim.
Reach Out to Bloom Fudali to Schedule a Consultation
No employee is required to accept harassment over accent, faith, or background as a condition of work. At a free consultation, our Queens hostile work environment lawyer will listen to what happened and outline a plan for your case. Bloom Fudali charges no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our office answers new inquiries promptly. Contact us to arrange a confidential meeting.