Author(s): Richard J. Gonzalez
This piece discusses the most interesting 12 employment cases handled by a plaintiff’s employment attorney and employment law professor over a 35-year timespan. Not intended to be a scholarly piece, it is rather a description and explanation of actual cases that reflect the stresses and oddities that can permeate workplaces. In addition to the factual descriptions of the cases, the article includes explanation of the various laws and legal principles available to employees who confront legal challenges within the workplace. The cases discussed herein include cases of traditional types of race, sex, age, and disability discrimination outlawed under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act, but also includes cases focusing upon less well-known causes of action available to employees, such as retaliatory discharge, promissory estoppel, and fraudulent misrepresentation.