Hannah Alexander

The Project

Low-wage, immigrant janitorial workers face some of the worst and most pervasive employment abuses afflicting the working poor. Like many other immigrant workers, janitorial workers are often victims of wage theft and other employment abuses that can have a severe impact on their financial health. This project also addresses two abuses particular to the janitorial industry: workplace sexual assault and employer fraud schemes. Janitorial workers are especially vulnerable to workplace sexual assault because they so often are women working alone at night in dimly lit, isolated places. Janitorial workers also frequently become victims of employer fraud schemes in which employers cheat them out of tens of thousands of dollars by pretending to sell “business franchises” to these workers. An attorney is needed to combat these predatory practices and provide aid to workers facing abuse.

Fellowship Highlights

During her Fellowship, Hannah:

• Represented approximately 40 clients in wage theft and discrimination cases in civil litigation
• Provided advice, brief service, and referrals to over 500 individuals
• Conducted attorney training on janitorial justice issues
• Continued legal outreach and coalition building with community groups
• Conducted presentations on the employment rights of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking

What’s Next

Now that the Fellowship is complete, Hannah plans to:

• Continue her work at the Equal Justice Center
• Increase participation in Equal Justice Center’s Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault program by creating a pilot program with a local women’s shelter
• Supervise new Equal Justice Center attorneys