Employers have a duty to prevent discrimination from occurring in the workplace. It’s against the law for any employer to engage in discriminatory actions. While some people might think that discrimination only occurs in very obvious ways, there are a host of ways that a worker can be discriminated against.
Protections against discrimination extend to all aspects of employment, including the interview and hiring process. It’s illegal to discriminate against individuals based on any protected category, including race, gender, disability, and pregnancy.
Discrimination can begin before anyone is hired for a job
Discrimination doesn’t always involve current employees. When seeking job candidates, employers can’t specify that they only want candidates that exclude protected groups. For example, they can’t say that they only want a white male who’s in his 30s. They also can’t target recruitment efforts in a way that excludes people in protected groups.
Employees may be discriminated against if they’re denied benefits or perks based on a protected status. This includes the use of company facilities. It’s also possible for discrimination to relate to layoffs, promotions or leave.
Some individuals face discrimination in their pay. When equally qualified employees have similar lengths of employment and are doing similar jobs, there shouldn’t be a large gap in pay between them. If there is a pay gap and it can be attributed to one person being in a protected category, it’s considered discrimination.
Any employee who’s been discriminated against can take action to make it stop. Some cases of discrimination are difficult to prove, so working closely with an experienced attorney is wise. They can outline the steps you need to take and help you to move forward.
