National origin discrimination is discrimination at work based on where you are from. This is illegal and employees and job applicants are protected from this type of discrimination under the federal act called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC).
National Origin Discrimination
National origin discrimination in the workplace occurs when applicants for jobs or employees are treated unfavorably because they are from a particular part of the world or country, as a result of their accent or ethnicity, or because they look as though they have a particular ethnic background even though this not the case. Discrimination based on national origin could also involve treating people unfavorably due to the fact that they have an association with, or they’re married to someone of a particular national origin. Discrimination may also take place when the victim and the person who discriminated are from the same national origin.
Examples of National Origin Discrimination
Examples of national origin discrimination at work could be any of the following:
- enforcing an English language only rule that discriminates against those who may prefer to speak in their own language;
- being refused a promotion(s) because of one’s accent;
- demanding an employee provides proof of legal immigration status;
- allowing other employees to make defamatory remarks about employees of a different national origin.
What To Do If You’ve Experienced National Origin Discrimination
If you have the evidence that proves you have been a victim of national origin discrimination in your workplace, the first thing to do is to file a complaint with your employer with enough evidence that shows you have suffered discrimination due to your national origin. If your employer does nothing to remedy it or denies it has taken place, you should file a complaint with the EEOC. Before you do this, you should provide adequate evidence that supports your claim of national origin discrimination. Evidence could include conversations you have heard on phones in the workplace, emails you have sighted and witnesses’ statements from coworkers.
Once you have this evidence, you should file a complaint with the EEOC. The EEOC will then conduct an investigation into your complaint and, if it believes you have grounds for national origin discrimination, it will give you the opportunity to file for compensation from your employer. As soon as you have the letter from the EEOC you should talk to an experienced employment lawyer who should be able to help you file your claim. You may be compensated by getting the promotion you deserve, and you may be offered a cash amount for the emotional suffering you have experienced due to be subjected to discrimination.
Get Help With Your Discrimination Claim
Trying to win a claim for national origin discrimination in the workplace on your own is not an easy task. You should consider taking the Free Case Evaluation on this page to get connected and speak with an attorney who will help you to get the compensation you deserve for national origin discrimination.
