Leesburg Employment Lawyer

Leesburg is a 12.5 square mile town in Northern Virginia located southeast of Washington, D.C. along the Catoctin Mountains and the Potomac River. [1] Situated in the county seat of Loudoun County, the town of Leesburg was established on October 12, 1758, by the Virginia General Assembly.[2] The town was named “Leesburg” to honor Virginia colonist Thomas Lee, a member of the Lee family political dynasty. During the Civil War, the town changed hands several times as both armies crossed the area during the Maryland and Gettysburg campaigns. Over the course of Leesburg’s long history, it has been a host to expelled U.S. government officials (when the British invaded Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812), was the site of the Civil War Battle of Balls Bluff, and was the hometown of World War II General George C. Marshall (the architect of the Marshall Plan to re-build Europe). Leesburg’s history is memorialized in its 21 entries in the National Register of Historic Places. Since its establishment, Leesburg has transformed from a small, rural town to a suburban community, with many people commuting each day to and from the nation’s capital. Residents in Leesburg find employment from a variety of sources, including the Loudoun County government (employing county and school employees), U.S. government (employing Federal Aviation Administration officials), local town government, and several private employers (like Wegmans, Target, Costco, and Walmart).[3] With its rich history, developing the economy, and growing population of over 42,600 residents, Leesburg has become a thriving Northern Virginia town.

Employment Issues in Leesburg, Virginia

Unfortunately, however, many Leesburg residents still struggle with various forms of unlawful employment discrimination each year. The federal government employees in Leesburg are specifically protected from wrongful employment conduct under federal law. If you or someone you know is a federal employee or contractor, you may visit our Federal Worker practice area page or Whistleblower practice page to learn about your rights before consulting with a Leesburg employment lawyer. If you are not a federal employee or contractor but think that you have been a victim of an unlawful employment practice, you may report such discrimination to the Virginia Human Rights Council or the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For more information on filing a complaint with the Virginia Human Rights Council or the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), please visit our Loudoun County locality page to learn more. While both the Virginia Council of Human Rights and the EEOC support the mission of combating employment discrimination and enforcing employment laws, they do have some significant differences that affect how individual cases ought to be handled. For instance, the Virginia Council of Human Rights often investigates claims of unlawful employment practices in person. The EEOC, on the other hand, because of its limited resources, often must investigate claims by phone. Additionally, the Virginia Council of Human Rights uses an internal appeals process when reviewing complaints of unlawful discrimination (please see our Loudoun County locality page for more information). This contrasts with the EEOC, which, instead of internally appealing reviewed complaints, issues a “Notice of Right-to-Sue” to any person whose complaint the EEOC decides not to prosecute. Accordingly, those filing with the EEOC may proceed to court within 90 days of receiving a “Right-to-Sue” letter from the EEOC.

Bringing Cases Before the EEOC

Just as a case before the EEOC is handled differently from a case before the Virginia Council of Human Rights, different forms of unlawful employment conduct are handled differently, and are subject to different restrictions, depending on the law. For example, some federal statutes require that claimants file with the EEOC first, whereas practical considerations in other instances might be resolved more expeditiously by filing first with the local Virginia Council of Human Rights. Violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should be filed first with the EEOC, whereas Equal Pay Act claims can be brought in court without previously filing a charge with the EEOC. These cases contrast with age discrimination cases, which may be filed in court as early as 60 days after a charge has been filed with the EEOC. Age discrimination cases may be filed earlier because they do not require that the complainant receives a “Right-to-Sue” letter from the EEOC prior to filing a case in court. Every case is different and may require a personalized approach. The experienced Leesburg employment attorneys at the Spiggle Law Firm can help.

 How a Leesburg Employment Lawyer Can Help

At the Spiggle Firm, our Leesburg employment attorneys join residents and employees across Leesburg in standing up against unlawful employment practices. Our employment lawyers are experienced in fighting this type of discrimination – we have seen the physical, financial, and emotional harm that wrongful employment practices cause each year, and we have repeatedly demonstrated our ability to help our clients obtain the results that they deserve. It is important to us that each of our clients understands their rights, and receives the respect that they are entitled to. If you or a loved one has been a victim of discrimination or another unlawful employment practice, please visit practice areas pages to learn more. Our practice area pages include sections on Wrongful Discharge, Family Responsibility Discrimination, Emotional Distress, Hostile Work Environments, Sexual Harassment, Age Discrimination, Disability Discrimination, Family Medical Leave Discrimination, and other types of discrimination. To discuss any questions on this or other employment-related legal concerns, call us today. The Spiggle Law Firm – 202.602.6831 [1] Head, James W. History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia. [2] Scheel, Eugene (2002). Loudoun Discovered: Communities and Crossroads, Volume Two, Leesburg and the Old Carolina Road. Leesburg, VA: Friends of the Thomas Balch Library. [3] http://www.leesburgva.org [4] Virginia discrimination statistics are available athttp://www1.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/state_13.cfm.