What Damages are Available in an Employment Law Case

The damages that are available generally in an employment discrimination lawsuit include the employees lost wages plus the value of the lost benefits plus reinstatement plus attorneys fees. In addition, most statutes and most of the common law is going to enable an employee to recover for his or her pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other elements of compensatory damage. Beyond this, some statutes, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, permit an employee to recover punitive damages for the employers unlawful misconduct. Amounts of damage vary widely from case to case and are very dependent on the facts of each particular case. However, as a general rule of thumb, punitive damages are awarded more frequently in retaliation and harassment cases then they are in discrimination cases.