Preparing for litigation is no easy task. When an employer acts in an irresponsible manner with his or her employees, taking that person to trial may seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, there are attorneys who have experience handling workplace discrimination cases. Building a Chattanooga workplace discrimination case is something an attorney could do if you so choose to follow through with a civil claim.
The First Steps to Build a Case Against an Employer for Discrimination
If an employee suspects he or she has been discriminated against, the first thing that employee should do is call an attorney and ask for a consultation. Trusting in an attorney’s advice is crucial. Discrimination cases are complex, they have difficult deadlines, and each case is different. An attorney would be able to help the employee sort through that.
The second thing is victims of discrimination should do is start keeping documentation. Keeping a log of every communication, emails, letters, and text messages could help substantiate claims and give an attorney a point of investigation. If victims suspect something suspicious, they could track their suspicions in a notebook or journal. All forms of documentations need to include the date, time, and people involved.
Next, if a person is being discriminated against, they should review the applicable sections in his or her employee handbook. Within the handbook there should be instructions as to what to do. That person should follow those instructions without reservation.
Lastly, victims should report to not just their immediate supervisor, but also the assistant manager, the general manager, and the human resources representative. They should continue to go up the chain of command until they have truly exhausted each and every avenue.
How a Chattanooga Business and Employment Lawyer Could Help Strengthen a Case
An attorney could help strengthen a workplace discrimination case with his or her knowledge of these cases. Because these types of cases have a complicated legal framework, it is critical for victims of workplace harassment to have on their side someone familiar with litigation. There are two major things that are important in wrongful termination cases. First, there is building a connection between the discrimination or the reported conduct and the discrimination itself, and that is a difficult thing to do because that involves proving the employer’s intent. This is frequently proven by purely circumstantial evidence because the employer never explicitly tells the employee his or her intent.
The second component is that the employer usually has a reason for termination that is not discriminatory. The employee often has to to prove that is the alleged reason for termination was false. It is merely pretext for the real reason which is a discriminatory reason or a retaliatory reason. An experienced attorney knows how to recognize what types of evidence and knows how to search out those types of evidence by reviewing the reason that the employer provided for terminating the employees.
Lawyers want witnesses and documents that disprove that reason for termination as soon as possible. Frequently, the employees are dealing with this on an ongoing basis, so a lawyer could talk employees through that process and make sure that the employee handles things on their end in the most ideal way possible.
Potential Compensation after a Successful Chattanooga Workplace Discrimination Lawsuit
If an employee is successful in a discrimination suit, he or she could receive a variety of remedies. An employee may be able to be reinstated. The employee would probably be entitled to lost wages and the time spent getting hired to a new job. An employee may frequently obtain compensation for emotional distress and for the difficulty that either the harassment or the loss of the job cost him or her and his or her family. In rare cases, an employee might be able to receive punitive damages which are based on the amount of money needed to punish the employer and dissuade the employer from acting in a similar nature ever again. Importantly, in a successful employment case, the employee’s attorney’s fees would be paid for by the employer, which is certainly a benefit for both the attorney and the employee.
Speak with an Attorney Today
While building a Chattanooga workplace discrimination case may seem challenging, there are legal professionals who have worked with cases like yours before. An attorney could help you take dutiful notes, prepare for trial, and could work toward a favorable outcome for you. Because these cases are often built off of circumstantial evidence, it is important for you to begin working with an attorney as soon as possible. Contact one today to begin your case evaluation.