Employment Litigation Lawyer
Every workplace should be welcoming and respectful to all employees. Unfortunately, however, not all work environments are this way. Even in this day and age, employees still deal with discrimination at work. It’s important to know when you may be facing discrimination and take immediate action.
Here are a few signs that you may be experiencing discrimination at work.
Suspicious Questions During an Interview
Discrimination can start as early as the first interview for a position. Although employers are legally prohibited from asking questions that target an applicant’s protected class, some of them still try to get away with it. For example, if you’re asked if you have children or if you plan on becoming pregnant soon, it’s a type of discrimination.
Inappropriate Jokes
There’s nothing wrong with joking around with your coworkers from time to time. It can certainly make the workplace more entertaining. However, jokes can sometimes go too far. If coworkers or supervisors frequently make jokes about your race, gender, religion, age or national origin, you may be facing discrimination.
Refusal of Religious Accommodations
In the United States, employers are required by law to provide employees with reasonable religious accommodations at work, such as days off on religious holidays and being allowed to wear religious clothing. If your employer has denied you such accommodations, it’s discrimination.
Unfair Promotions
When employees exceed expectations and possess the proper training and experience, they deserve a chance of advancing in the company. Unfortunately, however, not everyone is fairly promoted at their job. This could be another form of discrimination. For instance, if you notice that men are always promoted instead of women at your job despite having similar qualifications, there may be discrimination.
Unfair Discipline
Employers have the right to discipline workers who have broken company rules. However, disciplinary actions should be consistent among all employees. Otherwise it could be considered discrimination. For example, if an employer enforces its tardy policy among female employees, but not male employees, this could be an example of discrimination.
Retaliation
Employers aren’t allowed to retaliate against employees for participating in protected activities, such as reporting sexual harassment to a supervisor, request reasonable accommodations for a disability and filing a discrimination claim. If your employer has retaliated against you for engaging in a protected action, you should speak to a lawyer.
If you are dealing with discrimination at work, contact an employment litigation lawyer, like one from Eric Siegel Law, today.