Every year, the United States and state governments pass legislation to further protect employees against discrimination. The purpose of these laws is to prevent employers from discriminating against employees for things such as race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and more. However, there are instances where people do start to discriminate against others based on these factors. So what steps should you take when you feel that your company is being discriminatory?
Most of these laws and policies have some sort of exception for a few protected classes of employment, but that doesn’t mean that you can never be discriminated against. The first thing that you want to do is understand the laws that you are fighting for. In order to do this, you need to consult an attorney who has had experience in fighting for cases of discrimination within your specific industry or company. This will allow you to fully understand how your company is being run and if there are any chances of stopping discrimination in your situation.
If you feel that your company has been discriminating against you based on your gender, then you have a case. There are many examples of how men and women are treated differently throughout the work place. Some employers will provide separate restroom facilities for male and female employees. Other employers give their employees different clothing options and will not allow their female employees to wear high heels on the job.
Employment discrimination laws are very broad and cover a wide array of circumstances. For example, you might be experiencing discrimination if you’re being promoted at your job without any merit whatsoever. On the other hand, perhaps you are only being offered the job because of your gender. Knowing your exact situation is the best way of stopping discrimination.
It may seem obvious, but you cannot put a law against discrimination into effect if no one is acting against you. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has put in place new rules for filing a complaint if you feel that you have been discriminated against. You must do more than simply sign a form. You have to document the incident and follow through with your complaint in a reasonable manner. This is the best way of ensuring that you have the legal standing to sue your employer if they don’t respond positively.
When you are ready to begin filing your complaint, the first step is to find an employment lawyer to help you. They can help you determine what the company’s anti-discrimination policies are and make sure that you have the right documents in order to file your complaint. Fighting for equal wages and working conditions is not only a right, it is also a necessity if you want to ensure that other people are treated equally. You are the one who has to fight for these laws to keep them from discriminating against you and other fellow employees.