Washington, D.C. Employment Lawyer
Do you believe you have suffered discrimination or suspect your employer is participating in illegal activity? Seldon Bofinger has successfully sought justice and compensation for numerous clients. We are an experienced, highly successful law firm, small by design to focus intensely on individual clients whose civil rights and civil liberties have been violated.
We have forcefully and skillfully represented clients before juries in federal courts and hearings at federal administrative agencies, and have advocated for individuals in cases of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, denial of Reasonable Accommodation, reprisal, and whistleblower reprisal. Our team has one overriding commitment: protecting the rights of individuals against invasion by powerful government and corporate interests.
Our track record speaks for itself. We have secured millions of dollars in trials, hearings, arbitrations, mediations, and settlement negotiations nationwide. To get in touch with a legal advocate, reach out to one of our Washington, D.C. employment lawyers today.
Protecting You From Discrimination, Retaliation, Denial of Reasonable Accommodation, and Harassment
Federal, state, and local laws prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, disability, and numerous other classifications at the workplace and in many other settings. However, individuals still face unfair treatment at work and harassment for reasons unrelated to their job performance, and can wind up with ruined careers. Renters and buyers of places to live, students, and faculty often have their rights violated. If you have been treated like this, contact us.
Protected Characteristics and Combatting Retaliation
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects workers against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, and color. Gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy are aspects of sex, and discrimination based on these characteristics is prohibited.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act protect workers from discrimination based on age and disability, and require employers to provide Reasonable Accommodation to enable disabled employees to work effectively and with dignity. The Family Medical Leave Act provides for employees to take 12 weeks of leave per year to care for immediate family members and themselves for serious health conditions, including those that arise from pregnancy and childbirth.
These statutes and many others also protect against retaliation.
The DC Human Rights Act
The DC Human Rights Act is one of the broadest laws in the country protecting against discrimination, retaliation, denial of Reasonable Accommodation, and harassment, and it goes far beyond workplace violations. The DCHRA’s scope, coverage, and remedies often go far beyond Title VII and other federal statutes. The DCHRA and related DC statutes apply not only to employers, but also to educational institutions, labor organizations, employment agencies, educational institutions, real estate agents and sellers, lenders, and many others. DC statutes provide not only the same protection as federal statutes, but also prohibit discrimination based on family responsibilities; pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions; marital status; sex and gender identity; health benefits; and religion. They provide protection against discrimination in housing, lending and credit, the use of genetic information, and the place of residence
Additionally, DC protects against employers’ use of prior salary history for new hires, which is often used to discriminate against executives.
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Harassment, Unwelcome Sexual Approaches, and Demands for Sex
Harassment on the basis of sex is degrading and all too common. Offensive jokes and insulting remarks targeting your sex, race, color, religion, or national origin are forms of harassment.
Sexual harassment at work may involve quid pro quo harassment, in which an employment benefit and sometimes employment itself is conditioned on engaging in sex, often with a top executive, manager, or supervisor, and having to meet with them for drinks, dinner, and at their place of residence. Sexual harassment may also encompass touching you— particularly at work—staring and leering at you, making sexual comments about your body and appearance even in the presence of other people, coerced sex, exposure to pornography, and similar affronts to your dignity and even your health.
Our skilled Washington, D.C. attorneys have successfully obtained damages, promotions, reinstatement, backpay, and other redress for discrimination inside and out of the workplace by negotiating with employers, initiating administrative proceedings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Labor (DOL), the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), and bringing lawsuits in federal court. Seldon Bofinger has done this for many clients, and we are ready to fight for you.
Largest Whistleblower Settlement In MSPB History — $820,000 for OSHA Whistleblower
$500,000 Jury Verdict For HUD Paralegal
$490,000 Settlement for SES Deputy Assistant Inspector General
$488,500 Judgment for Inspector General Division Director
$446,000 Settlement for Gulf War Vet Intentionally Exposed to Asbestos
$350,000 Judgment for Federal Law Enforcement Officer
$285,000 Settlement for Federal Law Enforcement Manager
Violation of Correctional Officer’s Civil Rights
DOE Nuclear Whistleblower Decision
Protecting Workers From Wage Theft and Failure to Pay Commissions
Many federal, state, and local statutes require wages to be paid for regular hours and overtime. Despite this, employers still find ways to deny workers the compensation they have earned.
If you have been paid less than minimum wage, been refused overtime pay, denied an earned commission, or experienced discriminatory salary practices, your employer may well be violating wage and hour laws. Common wage and hour violations include:
- Mischaracterizing a worker as exempt
- Not paying for the time an employee is required to be available on standby
- Withholding earned commissions and bonuses
- Not including shift differentials when calculating overtime
- Failing to pay for travel time between job sites or not including travel time in overtime calculations
- Making illegal deductions for uniforms, supplies, and equipment
- Docking paychecks
- Delaying or withholding full compensation and earned leave from workers who resign or are fired
- Withholding earned commissions from executives and employees whose compensation is based in whole or in part on sales.
The Equal Pay Act and its counterpart DC statute contain powerful prohibitions on a particular form of wage discrimination: lower disparate pay. Both statutes prohibit employers from not compensating female executives and employees the same as males for jobs of equal content and responsibility that require the same skill, experience, and effort.
Our Washington, D.C. employment attorneys have successfully sought compensation for these and other violations related to workplace compensation.
Employers cannot retaliate against workers who demand the wages, severance packages, commissions, and other benefits they are owed. Bringing a claim of wage theft or disparate pay could result in an employer paying multiples of backpay, earned bonuses, and commissions, as well as attorneys’ fees.
Advocating and Litigating on Behalf of Whistleblowers
Seldon Bofinger is proud to stand with courageous whistleblowers and defend them against their employers’ retaliation. Our seasoned employment attorneys in Washington, D.C. have an impressive record of substantial victories and settlements against government and private employers for illegal reprisal targeting whistleblowers who have reported unsafe, wasteful, and harmful practices that affect employees and local communities.
Whistleblower protection is available in many contexts, including when an employer endangers the environment, contaminates groundwater, and engages in dangerous commercial and military nuclear activities. If you have suffered retaliation for reporting one of these activities or fraud, waste, and abuse by federal contractors, our team has diligently defended clients’ rights and may be able to represent you.
Seldon Bofinger was founded over 15 years ago by Bob Seldon, a highly regarded trial attorney whose background includes service as an Assistant United States Attorney, as the partner heading the litigation department of a corporate law firm, and in two public interest organizations. Charlene Bofinger is a partner and a former Senior Director of Sun Microsystems. Charlene brings an exceptionally broad understanding from over 25 years of experience in corporate, commercial and employment law and is responsible for much of the firm’s administrative and EEOC practice.
Recently, we served as lead counsel in the $820,000 settlement of a whistleblower appeal, the largest in the history of the MSPB; received a judgment at trial for $972,000 in a precedent setting ADA disability case; and secured a settlement for $446,000 for a disabled Gulf War Vet who was intentionally exposed to asbestos in the workplace. If you would like more information about how we can partner with you, please fill out our Case Inquiry worksheet and someone will be in touch with you soon.
Seldon Bofinger’s clients are represented by highly experienced attorneys.
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Contact a Washington, D.C. Lawyer About Violations of Your Employment Rights
Although the law offers many protections, employers routinely offend their workers’ dignity and violate their rights in many different ways. Our Washington, D.C. employment lawyers at Seldon Bofinger have devoted their careers to promoting the rights of workers against the misconduct of government and private employers. Contact us today to schedule a consultation if your rights in any of our practice areas are being violated.
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