Discrimination in the Workplace
“Job discrimination” refers to the illegal practice of denying individuals job opportunities based on protected class status, such as race. There are both state and federal laws that detail the parameters of illegal job discrimination in the workplace and forbid employers from treating employees and applicants differently based on these characteristics:
- National origin
- Sexual orientation
- Gender
- Race/color
- Religious beliefs
- Age
- Pregnancy
- Disability
- Armed services affiliation
Since illegal discrimination in the workplace often occurs solely between two people, it can be a challenge to prove what actually happened. The first step in uncovering job discrimination involves filing a formal complaint with both the employer and the EEOC. An experienced job discrimination lawyer can guide you through the process to ensure you are acting in accordance with the law and make sure your rights are protected throughout each step.
Are You a Job Discrimination Victim?
Often victims of illegal job discrimination are not aware of the reason they were denied an opportunity, but may suspect they were denied because of one of the characteristics mentioned above. You do not have to have hard evidence to hire a job discrimination lawyer; often the real proof will come after a series of interviews and investigative actions.
Examples of illegal job discrimination:
- An African-American job applicant is denied a job solely based on his ethnicity.
- A current employee is denied a promotion she deserves simply for being a woman.
- An employee is demoted after becoming pregnant.
- A current employee does not get a deserving pay raise because of religious beliefs.
- An employee is denied benefits because of his veteran status.
- A disabled individual is denied a job solely because of the disability.
- A worker is fired after his employer learns he is gay. (wrongful termination)
- A long-time employee is forced to retire because he reaches a certain age.
Your Right to File
Retaliation is when an employer fires an employee for filing a discrimination claim. If this happens to you, you may have an additional charge to add to your discrimination lawsuit, potentially entitling you to a larger settlement and making the penalties for your former employer more severe.
If you suspect you may have experienced illegal job discrimination, talk to one of the skilled lawyers listed in JobDiscriminationAttorney.com. You may also enlist the help of a lawyer if you are being harassed at work.
To learn more about job discrimination laws that are in place to protect employees and job applicants, please contact a job discrimination lawyer today.