What Are Protected Characteristics?
Under a landmark law passed by the United States Congress in 1964, American employers cannot discriminate against workers based on several protected characteristics that include race, gender, and national origin.
Under a landmark law passed by the United States Congress in 1964, American employers cannot discriminate against workers based on several protected characteristics that include race, gender, and national origin.
If you face discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace, the first place for you to seek help is your company’s human resources department. Employees that work for small businesses that do not have human resources departments should speak with a manager concerning harassment and discrimination at work.
The practice of employment law involves protecting employees from the illegal actions taken by an employer. One of the most common types of employment law concerns wrongful termination. The legal principle of wrongful termination is based on an employer violating a state and/or federal law that prohibits certain types of termination.
Employment laws passed at the state and federal levels protect employees from losing their jobs for unjust reasons. For example, your employer cannot fire you as an act of retaliation because you reported wrongdoing to a state or federal government agency.
Are you having trouble concentrating at work because you are being sexually harassed by your boss or a co worker? Is the harassment making the work environment unbearable? You don’t have to put up with this behavior.
It is illegal and there are both federal and state laws to protect you. All you have to do is tell your employer and ask it to stop the sexual harassment. If it does nothing you can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) who will contact your employer on your behalf. You may be eligible for compensation.
Many people think that gender discrimination no longer takes place and is a thing of the past, especially because women in particular are seen in all areas of life from Presidents and Prime Ministers to CEOs of large companies and organizations.
However, in ordinary everyday working life gender discrimination is abundant, such as getting pay parity with men at work, fewer opportunities for promotion, being the subject of unwelcome sexual harassment at work, being subject to racism more than men and being afraid to ask an employer to pay the same wage as male counterparts.
Employees have rights and if your employee does not take your rights into consideration and adhere to the law, you may be able to file a lawsuit against your place of employment. Violating employee rights can lead to a variety of damages, which may include lost wages, lost benefits, mental anguish, and so forth. Here is a closer look at employment law lawsuits and how they work.
When you think about the damage done because of discrimination in the workplace, you probably think about the negative financial consequences of losing a promotion, or worse, losing your job. Although the financial consequences of discrimination in the workplace can be substantial, workers that face workplace discrimination can suffer from negative mental and emotional consequences as well.
There are some things that employees get wrong about what happens when they are a whistleblower. Whistleblowers are protected by federal law, and often there are state laws that provide added protections. Here is a closer look at the things employees often get wrong about whistleblowers and what to do if you are a whistleblower. With the right guidance, you can ensure your rights are protected.