Cape May County’s economy runs on its shore towns, from Wildwood and North Wildwood to Cape May City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, and Ocean City, which means a workforce built around seasonal hospitality, tourism, and one of the busiest commercial fishing ports on the East Coast. Attorney Chris Keating represents workers across Cape May County in employment law cases, including matters of discrimination, harassment, unpaid wages, and whistleblower retaliation.
Discrimination at Work
New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) prohibits an employer from treating you differently because of your race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, national origin, or another protected category. In Cape May County’s seasonal workforce, this can look like:
- Discrimination in hiring and promotions based on race and national origin
- Sexual harassment in restaurants, hotels, and boardwalk businesses, where a hostile work environment often goes unaddressed during a short summer season
- Being denied a reasonable accommodation for a pregnancy or a disability
- Termination or demotion shortly after your employer learns of your protected status or protected whistleblowing activity
If any of this sounds familiar, you should contact a discrimination attorney immediately rather than waiting for the season to end.
Unpaid Wages at Work
The New Jersey Wage Payment Law and New Jersey Wage and Hour Law requires your employer to pay you the full amount of wages you have earned, on time, every pay period. In a tourism-driven economy, Attorney Chris Keating frequently sees:
- Tip pooling or service charge practices that shortchange servers, bartenders, and dock workers
- Seasonal employees paid a flat rate that doesn’t account for overtime during peak summer hours
- Withheld final paychecks after a seasonal position ends in the fall
- Commercial fishing and dock crews paid on inconsistent or informal schedules that violate state law
New Jersey’s Wage Theft Act allows you to recover the wages you are actually owed, liquidated damages of up to 200 percent of the wages owed, and your attorney’s fees and costs.
Whistleblower Retaliation at Work
New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) provides strong remedies if your employer disciplines, demotes, or fires you for reporting illegal conduct, safety violations, or fraud at work. This includes reporting the conduct internally to a supervisor or externally to a government agency, such as reporting unsafe conditions on a commercial fishing vessel or health code violations at a boardwalk food business.
Why Cape May County Workers Choose Keating Law Firm
Attorney Chris Keating understands the pay structures and staffing patterns unique to a seasonal, tourism-based economy, from tipped wages to short-term seasonal contracts.
When you contact Keating Law Firm, you can expect:
- A confidential conversation about what happened to you at work and the documentation you already have in your possession.
- A direct assessment of whether your situation involves a viable discrimination, wage, or whistleblower claim.
- A clear explanation of your filing deadlines, since New Jersey employment claims are subject to strict statutes of limitations.
- Direct representation from Attorney Chris Keating from your first consultation through resolution.
Call Keating Law Firm for a Free and Confidential Consultation
If your rights have been violated at work in Cape May County, you should contact an attorney immediately. Evidence disappears quickly once a season ends and staff scatter, so waiting can cost you your chance at justice. Call 856-519-5011 or contact Keating Law Firm online today to discuss your situation with Attorney Chris Keating.