Employment Discrimination Lawyer in Pennsylvania

Your company’s human resources department represents your employer, not you. The same company that reviews your complaint may later defend itself against your lawsuit. At Marzzacco Injury Law, our employment discrimination lawyers in Pennsylvania keep that conflict in mind when building your case, instead of relying only on the company’s internal complaint process.

What Should You Do in the First Week?

The steps you take early can decide what evidence is available later. Once a complaint turns into a legal matter, you may lose access to company systems quickly. What you collect now may become the evidence a jury sees. In the first week, it can help to:

• Save important emails: Keep copies of messages that relate to how you were treated.
• Take detailed notes: Write down the dates, what was said, and who was there for each incident.
• Keep work records: Save performance reviews and schedules that may contradict your employer’s reasons.
• Report problems in writing: Put your complaints in writing so there’s a record.
• Be careful with recordings: Pennsylvania generally requires everyone’s consent to record a conversation, so talk to a lawyer first.
• Don’t take confidential files: Leave company confidential documents where they are.

Quitting your job can weaken your claim. It may limit what you can recover and help your employer’s defense. Our employment discrimination lawyers can explain the legal and financial effects before you sign a severance agreement or resign.

Should You File With the PHRC, the EEOC, or Both?

In most cases, you should file with both, and quickly. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) handle discrimination claims separately. However, an agreement between them allows one charge to be filed with both agencies if you request it.

Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 P.S. § 959(h), you have 180 days to file a complaint with the PHRC. That’s shorter than the federal deadline. If you miss the state deadline, you may lose your state claim, even if your federal claim is still valid.

Filing with both agencies protects both options. Pennsylvania law allows compensatory damages but not punitive damages. Federal law allows punitive damages in some cases. If the PHRC hasn’t resolved your complaint within one year, you can file a lawsuit in state court.

Should Your Case Be in Federal or State Court?

Pennsylvania has three federal court districts: the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts. Federal judges follow Third Circuit rulings and may dismiss weak claims before trial. State courts, called Courts of Common Pleas, have different procedures. Juries in different counties, such as Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, or Dauphin, may also view cases differently.

Where you file can affect the value of your case before any testimony is taken. Our attorneys consider the evidence and choose the best court for your case, not just the closest one.

How We Build Your Discrimination Case

Discrimination cases in Pennsylvania often reflect the types of jobs common in the state. We handle cases involving nurses forced out after reporting unsafe staffing, warehouse workers disciplined unfairly after injuries, older manufacturing workers replaced during company reorganizations, and university employees repeatedly passed over for promotions.

Our firm has more than 120 years of combined experience and has recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We prepare every case for trial, even when it settles first.

Let Us Review What Happened at Work

If your employer has scheduled a meeting with you about a complaint or your job, it may be more serious than it seems. Call Marzzacco Injury Law at (717) 231-1640 before the meeting, or contact us online to schedule a free case review. Our employment discrimination lawyers can explain your options and help you prepare.