Understanding Your Rights as an Employee

In this turbulent economy, companies are constantly reducing their workforce to save money.  No matter whether you were fired or laid off, it is a violation of your employment law rights if you lost your job due to your age, color, disability, pregnancy, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or another legally prohibited reason.

If you have been laid off, downsized, or your job was eliminated as part of a reduction in force (RIF), and you believe the reason the company selected you was discriminatory or retaliatory, you have legal options. The employment lawyers of The Nirenberg Law Firm can explain your legal rights and options. Contact us today to find out more.

Severance Negotiations

Many companies have severance pay policies that require them to provide severance to employees who were laid off.  Other employees may be entitled to severance pay based on their employment contracts.  Either way, it is often possible to negotiate additional severance, or to improve the terms of the severance offer you have received.

Even employers that do not have severance plans are often willing to negotiate severance for employees who lose their job through no fault of their own, especially if the employee has a discrimination, retaliation, or other employment law claim.  For more information about severance negotiations, please see our severance negotiations pages.

The WARN Act

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires larger companies in both New York and New Jersey to give employees at least 60 days' advance notice of an upcoming mass layoff or plant closing.  Similarly, under the New York State WARN Act, larger companies must give their employees at least 90 days' advance notice before a mass layoff or plant closing. 

If you were part of a mass layoff or plant closing and your employer did not provide the required notice, contact an employment lawyer at our firm to discuss your legal rights.