Employment Law Project

The Society's Employment Law Project reaches low-wage and unemployed workers through its hotline, community education clinics, and collaborations with community-based organizations.

The majority of workers seeking help are:

• those who have been denied unemployment insurance
• those who have wage and hour violations
• those who were unjustly fired, experienced workplace discrimination, especially discrimination based on past criminal convictions or other involvement with the criminal justice system
• those who were refused pensions and other employer-provided benefits; and worker's compensation; and those who have been unfairly denied unemployment insurance or Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.

Contact:

Employment Law Project Hotline: (888) 218-6974

Areas of Practice:

City-wide legal services to low-wage and immigrant workers. The Project handles employment matters in federal and state courts, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the New York City Commission on Human rights. Project staff members handle claims involving wage and hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, discrimination, including discrimination based upon criminal conviction or immigrant status, matters involving the Family and Medical Leave Act, pensions, severance agreements, and employment-based health insurance and disability benefits. Project staff attorneys and paralegals represent clients in Unemployment Insurance hearings and appeals. Staff members provide legal support to various community organizations that serve low-wage and immigrant workers.

How to apply for employment legal services

To apply for employment legal services, an applicant should call the hotline number and leave a brief message of his or her legal issues and a telephone number. A staff member will call each applicant to conduct a screening interview.