Fighting For People Who Have Been Discriminated Against Or Retaliated Against At Work

At Ives & Flores, P.A., we represent employees of diverse backgrounds whose rights have been violated at work. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of employees and fighting against discriminatory and retaliatory practices in the workplace.

Although employers hold most of the power in the workplace, this doesn’t mean that they are entitled to discriminate against employees or violate their civil rights. New Mexico’s Human Rights Act prevents both private and public employers from discriminating against employees. And federal laws, including Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act provide further protections. In addition, both state and federal whistleblower protection laws prohibit retaliation when employees report certain kinds of employer wrongdoing.

There are many ways that employers can commit unlawful acts that violate an employee’s rights. Some common examples include:

• When an employee is sexually harassed at work.
• When an employee is physically assaulted at work.
• When an employee has been discriminated against in hiring, pay, promotion, job assignments, or benefits because of a protected characteristic, such as their sex, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, spousal affiliation, national origin, disability, or pregnancy.
• When an employee has been terminated or retaliated against for exercising their legal rights, such as reporting harassment or discrimination, whistleblowing, requesting medical leave, or requesting accommodations for a disability or pregnancy.

Discrimination and retaliation can take the form of obvious harassment, but it can also include:

• Less desirable work assignments
• Lower pay
• Failure to promote
• The requirement to relocate
• Termination

If you believe that you have been the victim of employment discrimination or retaliation, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Often, before you can file a case in court, you have to bring a claim before a state or federal administrative body such as the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau or the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and these administrative bodies have strict time limits. The attorneys at Ives & Flores have extensive experience in representing clients before these administrative agencies and ensuring that our clients’ cases make it out of the administrative bodies and into court, where they have the opportunity to obtain the necessary evidence and interview critical witnesses. Employment cases can be complex, and it takes an experienced attorney to help connect the dots between what the employer did and their illegal reason for doing it.

Employment discrimination and retaliation take a significant toll on an employee — both materially, in terms of income or difficulty in finding employment after termination, as well as personally, in terms of a damaged reputation or a loss of self-confidence. You need expert counsel to help right the balance and obtain justice on your behalf. If you have experienced discrimination or retaliation in the workplace, the attorneys at Ives & Flores, P.A. are here to help. Contact us today at 505-364-3858 or [email protected] to schedule a consultation and learn more about your rights and options.