A workplace discrimination attorney is fully aware that harassment and discrimination in the workplace is not a thing of the past, but unfortunately, it is still a common occurrence. In fact, some employees may be experiencing discrimination or harassment without even realizing it. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides protections to employees that prohibit an employer from harassment and discrimination based upon a worker’s skin color, national origin, religion or sex.
If you are working in a hostile work environment and need legal advice from an experienced workplace discrimination attorney, we can help. We can review the circumstances of your work environment and help determine if your rights have been violated.
What Other Laws Protect You?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is not the only law that protects employees. Other protections are provided by the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, which protects employees over 40. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 protects workers from being discriminated against based on a disability. Finally, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 protects employees from being discriminated against based on genetics.
How am I protected?
The law protects employees from “adverse employment actions” that are based upon their color, age, disability, race, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, or genetic information. These categories are often referred to as “protected classes” under the law.
What is an “Adverse Action?
There is a wide range of decisions by an employer that seems unfair to you, but the adverse action must be based upon a protected class under the law. Adverse action may include a demotion, termination, being overlooked for a job promotion or being hired for a position, or retaliation by your employer. If you are being treated differently from other employees and you believe it is based upon a discriminatory reason, you need to confer with a workplace discrimination attorney and let us determine if your rights are being violated.
Are all Employees Protected?
There are some limitations to the protections provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The two most significant exceptions are:
- For the law to apply, a private employer typically must have 15 or more employees.
- An employee must report the discriminatory or harassing action to the proper agency with 180 days from the date the act took place. Failure to meet the deadline can impact the employee’s ability to recover compensation for the employer’s illegal acts.
What can an Employee Recover?
An employee who provides he or she has been discriminated against by an employer can recover a wide range of damages. It is common for an employee to be awarded back pay, but you may be awarded anything from being reinstated to your job, to front pay (employer must pay you even though you no longer work there) to punitive damages.
Contact a Workplace Discrimination Attorney
The Crone Law Firm is passionate about helping victims of discrimination stop the discrimination and recover damages for the injuries sustained. If you have been refused employment, passed over for a promotion, unjustly fired or refused full payment of your earnings and you believe it was because of discrimination, contact us to determine if your rights have been violated. We want to help you work it out. Call us at 901-737-7740 to see how we can help.
Let’s go get some justice! If you’ve been treated unfairly at work and are wondering if you should take action, contact us and we’ll help you evaluate the merits of your case. Once you know, you can decide what you want to do.