Laws are in place to protect workers from discrimination and harassment. If you are an electrician, your employer has the duty to ensure you have a safe, non-hostile work environment so you can perform your job without threats, intimidation, or obstacles.
When discrimination occurs, it can affect you mentally, emotionally, and it can impact your productivity.
If you have suffered workplace discrimination as an electrician, you have resources available so you can pursue a claim against your employer. An employment law attorney can help you with your claim.
How An Electrician May Experience Workplace Discrimination
There are many ways discrimination takes place. It can be because of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, or other factors. As an example, you are an African American electrician.
Your employer often makes references to “your kind of people” and repeatedly points out that you are black. You are given a less desirable shift although you have seniority and experience. This may be workplace discrimination.
You may be an electrician who has told your employer you are unable to work Sundays because of your religious beliefs.
Your employer schedules you to work on a Sunday and when you confront him or her about it, you are demoted and given less pay.
This is a clear example of workplace discrimination as an electrician, and you have rights to protect you from such treatment.
Workplace discrimination can involve payrate, being turned down for a job, being denied promotions, being given undesirable shifts, making lewd or inappropriate comments, or subjecting the individual to harsh and unreasonable treatment.
Workplace discrimination is based on race, gender, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. There are federal laws and state laws in place that prohibit such actions from employers.
You will need to maintain records and documentation to support your claim if you are subjected to workplace discrimination.
The more evidence and documentation that you have showing what happened, the stronger your claim and the better your chances of succeeding with your claim. These claims are complex, so make sure you review the state and federal laws as well as your employee handbook and your employment contract.
Filing A Discrimination Claim As An Electrician
If you have been the victim of discrimination in the workplace, you should speak with your employer. You will want to talk to human resources or to a supervisor. You will need to keep the original documents and only provide copies of evidence.
Also, get proof that you notified them of the situation and note their response. Keep any correspondence that you receive regarding your complaint of workplace discrimination.
If your problem is not taken seriously, or if the matter is not resolved, you will take the next step and file a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
You can either do this online or you can make an appointment to visit the nearest office in person. Either way you will be interviewed by an EEOC representative. They will investigate your claim and contact your employer trying to resolve the issue.
If the issue does not get resolved at this point, the next step will be to file a workplace discrimination lawsuit against your employer and ask for compensation for the damages you suffered because of the treatment you endured.
This could include lost wages, lost benefits, and mental anguish. An employment law attorney will review the details of your case and can determine which kinds of damages suffered and the value of your claim.
Help With Your Discrimination Claim
Workplace discrimination is a serious matter and there are detailed laws in place to protect workers who suffer such treatment. If you have suffered workplace discrimination, you should enlist the help of an employment law attorney who is experienced in workplace discrimination claims.
An attorney will review your evidence and documentation, investigate the incident, and gather additional supporting documentation then make sure your claim proceeds efficiently.
When you speak with an employment law attorney, be sure to discuss payment options. Some employment lawyers work on a contingency basis and do not require payment upfront while others do require a retainer to be paid in advance.
You do have a limited time to pursue a workplace discrimination claim, so do not delay getting the help that you need to get your claim against your employer underway. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page today.
