As an employee, there are essential laws in place that are designed to protect you from a range of illegal conduct on the part of your employer. Pennsylvania is known as an at-will employment state, which means that employers can let employees go for any reason or for no reason as long as no legal boundaries have been crossed.

Knowing your employment rights can help you better protect them. If you have questions or concerns, we recommend seeking the legal representation of our experienced litigators serving Lebanon, PA. We are standing by to help.

The Law Prohibits Discrimination

A primary concern when it comes to employment law is discrimination. There are important state and federal laws in place that are designed to protect employees from discrimination on the job. These protections extend to all the following protected classes:

• Race, which includes ancestry, national origin, skin color, ethnicity, race-related traits, and interracial marriage or association
• Sex, which addresses gender, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics
• Pregnancy, which includes childbirth, breastfeeding, the postpartum period, related medical conditions, and assisted reproductive technology
• Age
• Disability

If you believe you have been targeted on the job or fired as a result of being a member of any protected class, you should not wait to consult with a practiced employment law attorney.

Wrongful Discharge

While Pennsylvania is an at-will state, employers are barred from firing employees for any reason that violates public policy. Examples include serving on a jury, a civic responsibility, and filing a workers’ compensation claim. Additionally, you can’t be penalized for not submitting to a drug test that is deemed unnecessary or for refusing to submit to a polygraph test. In other words, your employer is not allowed to retaliate against you for doing what you have the legal right to do.

Family and Medical Leave

Pennsylvania does not have its own family and medical leave laws in place, which means that the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) applies. If your employer has 50 employees, all must be allowed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for significant issues such as illness, the birth of a child, and some other caregiving duties.

Your employer is required to retain your group health benefits during this time. And you have the right to reinstatement of your employment when your leave ends.

An Experienced Employment Lawyer is on Your Side

The reliable Lebanon, PA, employment law attorneys at Mette Attorneys at Law are prepared to unleash the full force of our impressive experience and legal skill in pursuit of an optimal outcome that supports your rights as an employee. Learn more about what we can do to help by contacting us online or calling us at 717-232-5000 today.