Raleigh Employment Lawyer

Employment law attorneys representing Raleigh employees facing wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, accommodation denials, severance agreements, and performance improvement plans.

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Representing Employees in Raleigh

Martoccio Law Group proudly represents employees in Raleigh and the surrounding areas. We exclusively represent employees—never employers—ensuring our focus and resources are dedicated entirely to individuals facing injustice in the workplace.

Our highly qualified team evaluates and handles a comprehensive range of employment matters, including but not limited to:

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Wrongful Termination

Workplace Discrimination

Retaliation

Sexual Harassment

FMLA & Medical Leaves

Disability Accommodations

Severance Agreements

Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)

Our Raleigh Office is Located At:

555 Fayetteville St., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27601

Proven Advocacy for Employees

With a career exclusively dedicated to protecting workers’ rights, founder Gary Martoccio has earned a reputation for taking on powerful businesses—and winning. Our firm handles complex employment law matters nationwide, successfully navigating state and federal courts as well as the EEOC.

We believe every client deserves aggressive, experienced representation. When you work with Martoccio Law Group, you benefit from a firm that understands the exact value of your case and will not back down until a fair, just result is achieved.

Attorney Gary Martoccio has recovered over $60,000,000 for employees

Successfully litigated over 250 federal lawsuits

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Raleigh Employees: Get Ahead of the Paper Trail Before It’s Used Against You

In Raleigh, workplace issues often start quietly—new “concerns” that were never mentioned before, sudden rules, denied leave, or a manager building a case one email at a time. By the time termination happens, employers usually have their story ready to go.

That’s where Martoccio Law Group steps in.

We help Raleigh employees deal with wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, denied accommodations, and unfair severance agreements. North Carolina is an at-will state, but that doesn’t mean employers can fire you for illegal reasons. If the situation feels forced, it’s time to get answers.

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What Raleigh and Wake County Rules Add to North Carolina Employment Law

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Raleigh and Wake County both adopted nondiscrimination ordinances that took effect in February 2022, adding local protections on top of a state framework that is otherwise limited. The local rules matter most because of how little time they allow:

Local ordinances: Protections cover race and natural hairstyles, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, pregnancy, marital and familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin and ancestry, National Guard and veteran status, religious belief, age, and disability. Complaints are filed with the county and are generally due within 90 days of the conduct, far less time than the federal deadline allows.
State-level protections: The Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act covers retaliation tied to workers’ compensation claims, workplace safety complaints, and wage claims, through the North Carolina Department of Labor. The Persons with Disabilities Protection Act provides a separate state disability claim.
Federal law: Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, and the FMLA still carry most discrimination, accommodation, and leave claims for Raleigh employees, on their own longer timetable.

North Carolina remains an at-will state, so the question in most cases is not whether a termination was fair but whether it was unlawful. The 90-day local deadline is the one that most often catches people out, so if something has happened recently it is worth getting an assessment quickly, while every option is still open.

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Employment Cases We Handle in Raleigh

These are the employment matters we handle for workers in Raleigh. We represent employees only, never employers, from 12 offices across the country.

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FMLA Retaliation

Taking FMLA leave is a protected right. If your employer answered it with a demotion, a termination, or a quiet shift in how you are treated, that may be retaliation.

FMLA Retaliation FMLA Retaliation

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Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy discrimination often arrives as reduced hours, a denied accommodation, or pressure to resign — before leave, during recovery, or the week you come back.

Pregnancy Discrimination Pregnancy Discrimination

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Workplace Discrimination

Discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, or another protected characteristic can shape your pay, your promotions, and whether you keep your job at all.

Workplace Discrimination Workplace Discrimination

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Sexual Harassment

Unwanted advances, a hostile work environment, or an employer that looked away after you reported it. Sexual harassment claims often turn on what happened next.

Sexual Harassment Sexual Harassment

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Failure To Accommodate

Employers have to engage with a request for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, medical condition, or religious practice. Stalling the request is its own problem.

Failure To Accommodate Failure To Accommodate

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Severance Agreement

A severance agreement is a release of claims you may not know you have. Once it is signed the leverage is gone, which is why the time to review it is before that.

Severance Agreement Severance Agreement

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Current Employee PIP

A performance improvement plan is sometimes a real chance to improve and sometimes a paper trail built ahead of a termination. How you respond to it matters.

Current Employee PIP Current Employee PIP

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Wrongful Termination

Most firings are legal, even the unfair ones. A wrongful termination claim depends on whether the real reason was discrimination, retaliation, or a violation of public policy.

Wrongful Termination Wrongful Termination

How to Work With Us

Martoccio Law Group is committed to protecting the rights of employees against employers. Our highly qualified team is here to offer you expert legal advice and representation in various employment-related issues. Here’s how you can get started with us:

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Step 1: Contact Us
Reach out to us to complete a free case evaluation through one of the following methods:

Phone: Call us at 888-415-7670
Online form: Complete the case evaluation form by clicking this link.
Step 2: Provide Information
Through the phone or online form evaluation, you’ll be asked to provide some initial information regarding your potential case. Providing us with detailed information will help us to better understand your case and how we may be able to assist you.
Step 3: Receive a Response
Our team will review the information provided and get back to you within approximately 48 business hours. If we believe that we can assist you or need more information from you to make that assessment, we will reach out to schedule a phone call to discuss next steps.
Why Choose Martoccio Law Group?
Experience: Our team has a profound understanding of employment law and a successful track record of representing employees. We have successfully litigated over 250 federal lawsuits and have recovered over $60,000,000 for employees.

No Fees Unless We Win: We stand by our commitment to seek justice. You will not be charged any fees unless we reach a resolution to your claim.

Impactful Relations: We consider every client part of our family. Our aim is to build strong, impactful relations and fight for what is rightfully yours.

Ready to get started or need more information? Contact Martoccio Law Group today, and let us help you navigate your employment concerns with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in Raleigh or Wake County?

Only 90 days under the local ordinances, the shortest deadline most Raleigh employees face. The Raleigh and Wake County nondiscrimination ordinances took effect in February 2022, and complaints go to the county within 90 days of the conduct. A federal charge with the EEOC generally allows 300 days. If something happened recently and you think the local ordinance applies, the 90-day clock is the one to watch.

Can I be fired for my hairstyle in Raleigh?

Not under the local ordinances. The Raleigh and Wake County nondiscrimination ordinances protect natural hairstyles, including braids, locks, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, and afros. The same ordinances cover sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, and National Guard and veteran status, among other characteristics. Complaints go to the county within 90 days.

Is pregnancy discrimination illegal in Raleigh?

Yes. Federal law prohibits pregnancy discrimination at employers with 15 or more employees, and the Raleigh and Wake County nondiscrimination ordinances also cover pregnancy. That includes firing, demoting, or cutting hours because you’re pregnant. Employers with 15 or more employees also have to accommodate pregnancy-related limitations under the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Local complaints are due within 90 days, far less time than the federal deadline allows.

Does North Carolina have its own disability discrimination law?

Yes, but its deadline is short. The North Carolina Persons with Disabilities Protection Act lets employees sue over disability discrimination in employment. The lawsuit has to be filed within 180 days of when you knew, or reasonably should have known, about the discrimination. That’s a court deadline, not an agency deadline, and it runs separately from the federal ADA process through the EEOC.

What protects my job if I need medical leave in North Carolina?

Mainly the federal FMLA, because North Carolina has no general state leave law. Eligible employees at employers with 50 or more workers within 75 miles can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for a serious health condition, a family member’s care, or a new child. If you don’t qualify, leave for your own disability may still be protected as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. Either way, firing or disciplining you for requesting protected leave is retaliation.

Do I have to complain to HR before I talk to a lawyer?

No, but in harassment cases, reporting internally often matters. An employer can sometimes defend a harassment claim by showing it had a working complaint process that the employee didn’t use. Reporting in writing, and keeping a copy, protects that part of your claim. Talking to a lawyer first, or at the same time, is fine, and it can help you decide what to report and how to document it.

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