Key Takeaways
- Leo B. Dubler, III, a South Jersey employment lawyer and founder of The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC, has practiced law for more than 25 years and holds certification from the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Attorney, a distinction that covers roughly 3% of New Jersey attorneys.
- The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC, offers a free initial consultation, with evening and weekend appointments available.
- The firm serves workers from Mount Laurel and Atlantic City, including Cherry Hill, Burlington County, and Camden County.
- Federal law caps many awards at $300,000, while the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination offers broader remedies. Every case differs.
An employer can engage in workplace discrimination through job assignments, and New Jersey law treats that conduct as seriously as a firing. Suppose your supervisor suddenly hands you the worst shifts, dead-end tasks, or a demotion in disguise after you asked for an accommodation or reported harassment. You may have a legal claim.
What Does New Jersey Law Say?
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination prohibits discrimination in every stage of employment, including hiring, job assignment, and promotion. An adverse employment action includes any step that negatively affects the terms, conditions, or privileges of a job. That definition reaches beyond termination. Demotions, discipline, and undesirable job assignments can all qualify when they stem from a protected characteristic or from retaliation. The law also shields workers who complain about discrimination or join an investigation.
What Are Common Examples of Discriminatory Assignments?
Discriminatory assignments take many forms:
- An employer moves a pregnant worker or a worker with a disability into a lower-paying role after the worker requests an accommodation.
- A manager steers older employees away from major accounts and high-commission projects.
- A supervisor gives women or workers of color the least desirable shifts, while coworkers with equal seniority receive better ones.
- An employer reassigns a worker to a remote or dead-end post soon after the worker reports harassment.
Why This Matters in South Jersey
Workers file discrimination claims in large numbers. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission answered nearly 270,000 inquiries and processed 88,201 new discrimination charges in fiscal year 2025. In October 2025, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights sued Amazon, the state’s largest private employer, alleging that it denied accommodations to pregnant workers and workers with disabilities in its New Jersey warehouses. The case shows that accommodation disputes reach even the largest workplaces in the state.
Act Before the Deadline
Workers who wait risk losing their claims. New Jersey law generally gives an employee two years from the adverse action to file a lawsuit, whereas federal charge deadlines can run as short as 180 days. Keep a dated timeline of every change to your duties, schedule, or pay, and save related emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a reassignment count as an adverse employment action?
It can. A reassignment counts when it materially changes your pay, duties, or chances for advancement. A minor inconvenience alone usually does not qualify.
What evidence should I gather?
Collect a dated timeline, schedules, emails, performance reviews, and examples of how your employer treats coworkers in similar roles.
How much does it cost to speak with a lawyer?
The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC, offers a free initial consultation to review your case.
South Jersey Employment Lawyers at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC, Help Workers Fight Back Against Unfair Job Assignments
Do not let an employer sideline your career without a fight. Reach out to the South Jersey employment lawyers at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC. Our experienced legal team will review the issues you are facing at work and fight to protect your rights. Contact us online or call us at 856-235-7075. With offices in Mount Laurel and Atlantic City, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients in the surrounding areas.