Our Clifton personal injury lawyers can clarify your workplace rights. Our knowledge of employment & labor laws allows you to overcome adverse employment action and take home damages based on the wrongs you’ve endured.
If you’re ready to learn more about the type of lawsuit you can bring against your employer, contact an employment lawyer today.
Recognizing and Taking Action Against Employment Discrimination
There are laws in place to protect you from being discriminated against by employers or other staff members during work-related practices. Knowing what workplace discrimination is and how it occurs can help you identify if you are in a position to file a case against your employer.
What Behaviors Can Courts Classify as Workplace Discrimination?
The term “employment discrimination” describes any discrimination that takes place while on the job. This kind of discrimination may involve bias toward employees or prospective employees during the following processes:
- Hiring
- Firing
- Assigning job positions
- Pay decisions
- Promotions
- Employer retaliation
Different types of harassment also fall under employment discrimination. Federal laws addressing discrimination in the workplace protect from bias based on personal factors. These laws allow you to take action in the face of the following:
- Racial discrimination
- Religious discrimination
- Discrimination based on a person’s sex or gender
- Nationality discrimination
- Disability discrimination
- Ageism, or age-based discrimination
Overcoming Fears of Employer Retaliation
Many employees fear reporting discrimination in the workplace because they’re concerned about retaliation. Acts of retaliation include wrongful firings, demotions, reduction in wages, and a reduction in hours in response to an employee’s behavior.
Retaliation is, first and foremost, illegal. If you are a victim of discrimination in the form of retaliation, you have the right to sue your employer for damages.
Secondly, our team takes steps to minimize your risk of employer retaliation. We can offer you recommendations for removing yourself from a hostile work environment or protecting yourself from an employer’s bad-faith efforts to disrupt your working hours.
You can learn more about the tactics Clifton employment lawyers use to help you navigate a personal injury claim targeting your employer during a free personal injury case evaluation.
You Can Sue for Workplace Discrimination
Collaborating with a Clifton employment discrimination lawyer can make it easier for you to take action against your employer. Our employment law firm can first help you determine if you experienced any of the following forms of mistreatment, as elaborated on by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):
- Harassment, either physical, mental, or emotional
- Unfair treatment based on your race, age, religion, etc.
- Being denied a necessary and reasonable workplace change
- Being asked inappropriate questions about your genetic/medical information
- Employer retaliation when you complain about job discrimination or cooperate with discrimination investigation proceedings
We Advocate for Victims Facing Many Types of Workplace Discrimination
Employment discrimination can occur outright, such as during conversation, or it may take place through emails, phone calls, interviews, and other forms of communication. The following are ways employers can discriminate against current and potential employees:
Sex and Gender Discrimination
According to the EEOC, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against sex discrimination due to sexual harassment, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or a person’s gender status. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) protects men and women from unfair workplace processes based on their sex.
For example, if you were denied a promotion because you are a woman or not hired because you are pregnant, you may have a case against your employer. We were able to secure $800,000 for a plaintiff whose boss made discriminatory remarks about her pregnancy.
Age Discrimination
The EEOC states that the Age Discrimination and Employment Act of 1967 protects parties from age discrimination like the following:
- Setting age preferences or limitations for employees
- Discrimination in apprenticeships
- Denying or reducing benefits for older employees
Discrimination Against Race, Color, and Ethnicity
If an employer discriminates against you based on your race, skin color, or national origin, you may have reason to file a lawsuit against them. This includes discriminating against you because of your accent or for belonging to a specific ethnic group.
Disability Discrimination
There are multiple laws that protect employees or potential employees from discrimination based on a disability. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, together, these laws protect differently-abled people from:
- Not being hired due to their disability
- Being denied reasonable accommodation for their disability
- Being asked about their disability before being hired—an employer may only ask about a prospective employee’s ability to perform job functions
Religious Beliefs Discrimination
If you submit a request to an employer due to a religious belief, they must honor it and make accommodations unless the request would place an undue hardship on their business. An experienced employment lawyer in Clifton firm can help you identify religious and other types of discrimination in the workplace and take action against your employer.
How Workplace Discrimination Cases Work
When you are ready to take action, you must follow a few steps you must follow in order to file a complaint against your employer. These steps include:
- Reporting the discrimination in your workplace
- Filing a report with the EEOC
- Filing your employment discrimination lawsuit
Filing a Report with the EEOC
The first thing you may want to do after experiencing workplace discrimination is file a complaint with your employer. In fact, your employer should have a written procedure for this in their employee handbook or another related manual.
If you don’t have formal guidance, you should still be able to report it to your human resources department.
Should your internal complaint not be resolved, you can file a formal report with the EEOC. A complaint must be on file with the EEOC before you can file a discrimination lawsuit against your employer.
Filing an Employment Discrimination Injury Lawsuit
If you are unsure how to file with the EEOC, a lawyer from our firm can help. For this reason, you may want to consult with us before filing your EEOC complaint.
We can help you file with the EEOC, ensuring you have all the necessary evidence and documentation. Then, our team will help you bring your case against the employer.
What Can a Clifton Employment Discrimination Lawyer Do for You?
In addition to helping you file your complaint with the EEOC, an employment discrimination lawyer in Clifton from our law firm can help you in a number of ways:
Proving Employer Liability
One facet of your case will involve showing that they either discriminated against you directly or allowed discrimination to occur. We will need evidence of the discrimination that occurred, such as recordings, written communication, and witness testimony.
This proof can show their liability for the discrimination you experienced. We know how to demonstrate your employer’s liability and can gather evidence to help support your case.
Offering Support and Guidance
An attorney from our firm will also act as your communicator, offer you support, and provide legal advice as needed throughout the process. We aim to ease your concerns and advise you as you make difficult decisions.
Get Help for Discrimination in the Workplace Today
Filing a discrimination lawsuit against your employer may help you restore fair treatment on the job and set a precedent for future employees. Learn how a Clifton employment discrimination lawyer on our team can help today. Contact Morelli Law Firm for your free consultation to get started.
