New York Employment Lawyer Blog

Employment discrimination victims in New York City can fight back hard. There is a little known law that applies only in the five boroughs of New York City - the New York City Administrative Code. This law provides the victims of employment discrimination with more protection than Title VII (the federal law).

First, a person cannot bring an employment discrimination suit under federal law until the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gives them the green light and this typically takes several months. Sadly the EEOC typically does nothing but make victims wait. This is absurd. Luckily, the New York City Administrative Code lets employees sue immediately with no nonsense.

Second, Title VII limits damages in most cases to $300,000. The New York City Administrative Code has no limits.

Third, many federal judges simply do not like dealing with employment discrimination cases. They were appointed by the President and Congress and they often think that they have more important things to do. In my view, many federal judges do not give discrimination victims a fair chance. So it is often better to bring the case in state court under the New York City Administrative Code. The New York City Administrative Code gives victims the right to recover punitive damages and attorneys fees if they win.

Finally, as the prior post notes, the US Supreme Court is generally narrowing individual rights. These unfavorable federal decisions typically have no effect on the New York City Administrative Code.