Fighting For
Employee And Union Rights
Fighting For
Employee And Union Rights

Tough Employment Law Attorneys

If you believe that you’ve been subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace, you don’t have to remain silent. We are here to help. At Miller Cohen, P.L.C., our Detroit employment law and labor attorneys have a long, well-established reputation as one of Michigan’s strongest defenders of working people and their rights. Our attorneys are responsible for millions of dollars of settlements and verdicts against employers throughout Michigan.

You Don’t Have To Take It Anymore

If you’ve been fired for reporting wrongdoing or illegal activity, believe that you’ve been discriminated against because of your race, gender, ethnicity, religion, height, weight, age, marital status, or disability, or simply have a question about Family and Medical Leave Act leave or overtime pay, contact our law firm at 313-566-4787 or 800-221-6021.

Defending Michigan Employees’ Rights

Our Detroit employment law attorneys are prepared to effectively negotiate and litigate compensation for the losses caused by illegal employment practices. With over 50 years of experience standing up for employee rights, we know how to uncover wrongdoing, gather documents and information, and put the law on your side.

We represent workers and employees in the following kinds of employment-related legal matters:

  • Discrimination – Federal and Michigan laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of their age, gender, race, religion, disability or national origin. We litigate discrimination claims in court and assist with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights process. We seek justice for working people who were fired, denied a promotion, not hired, or otherwise treated unfairly due to their race, age, sex, disability, religion or ethnicity.
  • Sex discrimination We fight for workers who were discriminated against in the workplace because of their gender. Sexual discrimination can include unwanted sexual advances, demands for sexual favors in exchange for employment, retaliation against an employee who refuses sexual advances, or the existence of a hostile work environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, offensive, or abusive. Sex discrimination can also include an employer who takes any adverse employment action against a woman simply because she is pregnant.
  • Minimum wage – American workers went almost a decade before the last increase in the minimum wage. Unfortunately, many employers continue to avoid even paying this the bare minimum to their employees. Other employers may improperly classify their employees as independent contractors or as tipped employees to be paid by the job or to be paid less than the normal minimum wage. Still other employers promise wages that surpass the minimum wage or other benefits, but then, after an employee has already worked their shift, fail to meet their end of the bargain. If you are working for such an employer, you have rights.
  • Overtime pay – Except for exempt salaried employees, employees who work more than 40 hours a week are entitled to overtime pay at time-and-a-half. Some employers will make employees perform work before they punch in or complete tasks after they have clocked out. Others will try to avoid paying overtime to employees by misclassifying them as exempt employees. Whether you are an exempt or nonexempt employee is based upon your job duties. It is not based on your title or the employer’s decision to pay you on a salary basis or hourly basis.
  • Harassment Not all forms of harassment are illegal. However, if you are being harassed because of your sex, age, race, religion, disability, or membership in another protected class, call our law office to discuss your options for ending this illegal workplace harassment.
  • Wrongful discharge Most workers can be fired for any reason or no reason by their employer unless they are represented by a union. However, if you have an employment contract, you may be able to sue for breach of contract if you were fired without good cause. If you were fired or terminated because of your age, race, gender, national origin, height, weight, marital status, disability, or religion, you may also have a claim for wrongful discharge. Lastly, firing an employee is illegal if it is done in retaliation for opposing unlawful discrimination or harassment, filing a workers’ compensation claim, requesting FMLA, making a safety complaint in the workplace, reporting wrongdoing as a whistleblower to the government, or filing a claim for harassment.
  • Whistleblower claims Under Michigan’s Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, it is illegal for an employer to discharge, threaten or otherwise discriminate against an employee for reporting misconduct, fraud or other violations of the law or rules. Federal law also provides similar protection to whistleblowers in certain situations.
  • Family and Medical Leave Act The FMLA allows most employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid medical or pregnancy leave. Also, workers who need to take a leave of absence to care for their father, mother, spouse, or child who is suffering from a serious health condition, may be eligible and entitled to receive unpaid leave as well. This leave can either be continuous—for a duration of time—or intermittent—where leave is more broken up or where an employee needs a reduced schedule. We advise and represent workers and unions in disputes over family medical leave, including employees who were fired or retaliated against for taking an FMLA leave.
  • OSHA/MIOSHA – Now more than ever, with the impact of a global pandemic on the workplace, your safety may be at risk.  If you believe that you are being forced to work in an unsafe work environment, you have the right to file a complaint with the government.

If I Believe that I Have Been the Victim of Discrimination, Harassment, or Retaliation, What Should I Do?

If you are experiencing discrimination, harassment, or any other misconduct in the workplace, it is wise to consult with an attorney before you contact Human Resources or a government agency. Human Resources is not always on your side and, by law, government agencies are sometimes required to notify an employer who is under investigation. Some unscrupulous employers will expunge e-mail records, phone messages, and scrub employee files.

Before turning to Human Resources or a government agency, contact us so that we can provide invaluable advice about your legal rights and help you put together a plan to address your concerns in the workplace.. We can help you identify records and documents you need to establish your case. Collecting emails, copies of performance reviews, HR policies and handbooks, and other information will be important in establishing your employer’s liability during negotiations or at trial. We can help you identify what government agency you would need to go through and when you should go. And you should know whether someone, such as your lawyer, should go with you.

If companies do not respond to reason, our attorneys will make them respond in court. We have the experience and resources to get the kind of results that you need.

Contracts

We’ll negotiate for you. Are you starting a new job, leaving an old one, or facing changes in the workplace? We can negotiate your employment contract or severance package and can advise you about any non-compete or confidentiality agreements. Know what you’re signing before it’s too late. Let us protect you.

A Strong Tradition Of Working With Labor Unions

Having helped working people over the course of many years, we’re proud of the opportunities we have had to work with labor unions, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), United Auto Workers (UAW), United Steel Workers of America (USWA), United Postal Workers of America (UPWA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Cement Masons, Service Employees International Union Healthcare Michigan (SEIU HCMI), Association for Flight Attendants – Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA), TCA, Teamsters, Taylor Federation of Teachers, Amalgamated Transit Union, American Association of University Professors (AAUP), Metro AFL-CIO, and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

Our attorneys represent labor unions before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), as well as state labor boards in a wide range of employment disputes, including wrongful discharge.

Questions? Contact Miller Cohen, P.L.C., Today.

With the attorneys of Miller Cohen, P.L.C., on your side, you don’t have to take it anymore. Contact our office today for more information about the legal remedies available to you.

Take control of the situation – call Miller Cohen, P.L.C., today at 313-566-4787 or 800-221-6021.