Rights of Workers with Disabilities in the West Palm Beach area

Legal recourse if your rights are violated in your Florida job

Unfortunately, some employers cannot see past the disability of a job candidate or a worker. For this reason, federal and state laws expressly prohibit discrimination based on a disability. These laws mandate that employers judge people by what matters: skills, ability, accomplishments, integrity, professionalism and honesty. At Pfeffer & Associates, our founding attorney, Louis P. Pfeffer, has advocated for the rights of Florida workers since 1984 — six years before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed and 24 years before this law was finally amended to correct some of the injustices that persisted against workers with disabilities.

Fighting for your employment rights in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties

Despite the progress made under the ADA and the Americans with Disability Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), discrimination remains a problem in the Florida workplace. You have the right to compete for a job and to be treated like other employees at your company. Antidiscrimination laws do not give you an advantage, but rather they level the playing field by demanding employers consider only your job qualifications. Our legal team fights for equality if you have suffered discrimination or harassment because of a disability. Our discrimination lawyer can pursue damages and other forms of relief against your employer so you can reach your full career potential.

Your rights as an employee

The Florida Civil Rights Act, the U.S. Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the ADAAA offer you crucial protections in your job. Your employer may have violated these laws if:

You are offered lower wages or less desirable benefits than others for the same or a similar position.
Your employer makes work decisions — such as promotions, income, shifts, work assignments or termination — based on your disability.
Your employer refuses to make reasonable accommodations — including changes to your workspace, schedule or nonessential job duties.
You are harassed because of your disability by your supervisor, a supervisor in another department, your coworker or your company’s vendor or client.
You are denied medical leave.
You are terminated because an illness or injury caused a disability.

Rights of job applicants with disabilities

Antidiscrimination laws apply to job applicants as well as employees. As a candidate for a position, you have the right to be considered based on your ability to perform the tasks required for the job. You may have a valid discrimination claim if:

A job posting discourages people with disabilities from applying.
You are required to take a pre-employment physical that is intended to identify and exclude applicants who have disabilities.
A company refuses to accept your application upon learning you have a disability.
A recruiter asks you medical questions during an interview or on a written application.
You are not given reasonable accommodations to submit your application, attend an interview or engage in any other step of the recruitment process.

Contact our Jupiter, FL firm to learn more about your rights in the workplace

Learn about the rights a person with a disability has in the Florida employment market. Call Pfeffer & Associates at 561-745-8011 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Because we handle your discrimination claim on a contingency fee basis, you do not have to pay attorney’s fees until we recover damages.