any advice on how to get an attorney? I along with 6 co-workers are trying to sue my former (of one day) company for harasment/ hostile environment... we have a vey good leg to stand on but in sending out request via email to law firms online I am not getting any responses back. Any advice on how to better go about this?
133470
You should phone local attorneys instead of emailing them.  Emails tend to get shuffled to the side.  I don't even think we check our firm's email.  Look in the yellow pages for Employment Law attorneys or Civil Litigation attorneys.  You can usually schedule a consultation to see if they believe you have a case or can refer you to someone who would be more able to assist.
127588
Very nearly every company now follows one simple rule: "We will only confirm dates of employment." They dont' have to give any info about what you did or why you left or how much you made or anything.\n\n Why ? They have been told that saying more than that - positive or negative - could get them sued. (If they give someone an awesome recommendation, and that person ends up stealing or something from a future employer - that future employer will say that they based their decision in part on the recommendation). \n\nAnd, if you do get a bad recommendation, nobody is going to tell you - if you decide to sue your old boss, they will get sucked into the lawsuit - and they do not want that to happen. \n\nA boss is not at all prohibited from giving you a 'bad' recommendation. Their larger obligation is to give an honest recommendation. If somebody sucks - well, sorry, they suck. The boss might choose different words. \n\nIf you (or anybody) thinks that a lawsuit is the answer to anything and everything - it's not. You are looking at $ 5000 + to pay for a lawyer, and unless you have some amazing evidence, it will go nowhere. Even getting a chance at getting 'justice' will cost you an amazing amount of money. Bosses also collect little bits and pieces of bad stuff on you, in case they ever have to use it. Even if the boss lies and says you were awful (assuming that you were not awful), are any co-workers going to stand up for you and risk losing their jobs or getting pulled into the lawsuit themselves ? Nope. And, if they give you a bad recommendation, they may have stuff to back it up - you may not agree w it - but to someone who does not know either of you, it might be convincing. And, down the road, if someone does a little research on you while you are applying for a job w them, it's not too difficult to find out if you have sued someone or have been sued in the past. If it shows that you sued a previous employer - into the shredder goes your resume. Are you ever going to know that happened ? Nope.\n\nWhat happens if you call the local Dept of Labor in your city or state or any other of several advocacy groups ? Well, they only have so many people working there, and they are absolutely buried by complaints from people who feel that they have been treated unfairly. How many people who have lost a job have ever thought that they deserved to lose their job ? Then everybody starts giving them advice on how you 'can't let them get away w that.' Baloney.\n\nYour old boss also has a lot more experience in dealing w this kind of thing. You are looking at it for the first time - that is another big disadvantage you have.\n\nThat's the real world. It's not about what is fair. It's about knowing the rules of different games so that you can play them to your best advantage. \n\nTalking about the perfect world and your rights and all is just air - it's good for nothing. \n\nHow to overcome it - don't give up - "never never never give up" - Winston Churchill. \n\nIt's never about whether you get knocked down - you will - all that matters is whether or not you get back up. If you don't give up, you cannot fail.\n\nSorry that I don't have a nice tidy "the world is fair" answer for you - but this is the truth that comes from a lot of experience. The 'real world' and the 'perfect world' do not even know that the other one exists - they are that far apart.
378409
Tell your boss.  If that doesn't work, then tell their boss and so forth... If all that fails, then look for a legal solution -- file a formal complaint -- in short, do something about it.\n\nIn the meantime, while you're working on all that -- it might be a good time to find another position in that company or a new job -- Noone should have to put up with that abuse. \n\nGood luck!
422164
Three lawyers, and we agree on one critical thing: consult a lawyer in your area immediately.\n\nAnd - while I don't necessarily speak for my colleagues on this one - ignore the spammers offering "prepaid" legal advice.
446596
I was falsely accused of sexual harassment and I a female! At the place I worked these guys were making suggestive comments to me and all this... I just ignored them. One guy got mad and turned me in for sexual harassment! Said I was making suggestive remarks and wearing inappropriate clothes and I got written up, and then fired the next week. I talked to my lawyer and they agreed to take it off my record of employment, but wouldn't rehire me. What a load of crap! Tell him to get a lawyer!
602478
Best advise that I can give you is to fire them.  \nI tried that and in fact I had done most of the research prior to hiring the lawyer and it was never used.\nIf I had to ever hire a lawyer again I would go to the courts where you can sit in the room and watch and listen and find a lawyer that way.\ngood luck.
73523
In what way is the company harassing you?  They spoke to you in a meeting about an employee feeling threatened by comments that you made on your blog.\n\nFor information about what is protected speech and what is not, review the EFF page on blogger's rights.  For example, the EFF states political opinion, unionization, workplace conditions, whistleblowing are protected.  \n\nThe Electronic Frontier Foundation Blogger's FAQs: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/\n\nThe FAQ on Labor Law: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-labor.php\n\nReview those faqs; if you still think you have a case against the company, bring it to a lawyer experienced in Labor Law.
479606
Same thing happened to me - 3 years at a company that closed and cannot get ahold of any ex-fellow employees.  I did have contact with the owner, but he as been MIA for over a year.  \n\nI use people that knew me from companies I delt with such as suppliers and customers.  Contact someone you feel comfortable with and ask for a reference.  They may have to check with their HR departments about this, but it's worth the effort.
266873
Eesh.  You've got a difficult situation.\n\nI would not file a lawsuit unless you want this to drag on for years and other women have been harassed as well and complained to no avail.\n\nI would, however, file an official complaint against him so that it's on his track record with the company.  That way, should another woman be in this situation, the company can't say they didn't know about it.\n\nIf the company penalizes you for the complaint, then you have a case.  Otherwise you can't blame the company when they acted on your complaint for not doing something when they weren't aware.  In this case, they seem to have reacted to the issue.. but still something official needs to be filed.
17360
Document everything.  Talk to a lawyer, you may have a case on your hands.  Save any written correspondence.   Definitely fight back. \nMost times a place like that isn't worth sticking around for, but they should be made to pay for their treatment. So:\n\n1. Build a case\n2. Talk to a lawyer.\n3. Find another job.\n4. sue.
508578
Please contact me as soon as possible. I understand your situation and would like to help you get access to you Legal Rights. Education is one of the top 3 fields that get sued in the U.S. I can provide you the piece of mind you are looking for. Hope to be of service to you.
669448
I'd say keep trying to get someone higher up than your attorney, to listen to you. that's just wrong. That attorney should be fired and lose their license. So, keep trying b/c someone WILL listen to you.
375786
Sigh!, I wish  she had talked to a lawyer prior to going to the Human Resources department.\n\nShe can file a complaint with the Labor Commission in her State and also she should file for unemployment too.\n\nShe can further call the office of the Attorney General in her state and see what options are available to her.\n\nSexual harassment in the workplace is not supposed to be tolerated.\n\nIf she has documented proof that the Human Resources department made him apologize to her; she can probably sue them and him.  A lawyer can subpoena the records of the HR department and take them to court.\n\nThe problem with this is that her efficiency at the office will be challenged and she is going to have to prove she was a good worker who followed all the office rules and was not late or did not have too many absences from work.
521
The question still isn't easy to answer. Your best bet would be to contact a local attorney, or take the advise of the previous responder.\n\nBut the truth is, this is a free country and they can't make you do anything. The answer might be, however, do you want to continue to work for them and receive a paycheck?
304532
very weird, instead of sewing them SUE.  Don't beleive any DOT laws were broken, you may have something on abandonment, but only a lawyer will know for sure.
412311
huummm....my advice would be to find another job\nfile a harassment claim\nand maybe sue them?\n\n\n\ngood luck.
371757
Yes...get an attorney!!!!