No job is ever going to be perfect. Therefore, there may be times when you feel uncomfortable at your place of employment. However, harassment and discrimination cause problems that go beyond a general feeling of unhappiness. They can cause you mental anguish and affect your livelihood in the worst cases. The law forbids places of employment from conducting such activities. These are some types of harassment and discrimination that you may face where you work. You must speak to a professional if you believe that any of them has victimized you.
Religion-Based Discrimination
As a California citizen, you have the right to practice any religion you so desire. Religion-based discrimination includes unfair practices that target a worker’s religious affiliations or beliefs. They may consist of refusing to adjust an employee’s schedule to allow that person to worship. Alternatively, they may include forcing an employee to participate in activities that the person’s religion forbids. Termination based on faith and failure to hire someone based on his or her religion are also examples of such discrimination.
Racial Discrimination
Racial discrimination occurs when an employer refuses to hire a person because of that person’s race, place of birth, customs, or accent. It may also include offering such an employee a lower wage or a demeaning role because of the attributes mentioned above. Additionally, segregating the employee from other workers is a prohibited act.
Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination is the unfair treatment of an applicant or employee because of that person’s gender. An example is when an employer refuses to hire or promote a female employee for a job that it considers a “man’s job” and vice versa. It could also include termination, segregation, and lowballing someone’s pay because that person is of a particular gender.
Age Discrimination
Employers must not discriminate against persons who are over the age of 40. Refusing to hire someone in that age class solely based on the individual’s age is prohibited by state and federal law.
Disability Discrimination
The Americans With Disabilities Act is one of the many legal provisions that protect persons who suffer from disabilities. Employers may not refuse to hire or reasonably accommodate someone who has a disability.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment occurs when a person makes unwanted sexual comments, suggestions, or physical contact with a member of the staff. It can include coworkers, management staff, customers, and the like. An activity must be unwanted by the victim, or it must offend a third-party spectator to qualify as sexual harassment.
Hostile Work Environment
A hostile work environment is an environment that is unduly stressful on a worker because of bullying, gossip, workplace sabotage, and other situations that cause stress. Hostile work environment situations are prohibited, and employers must do everything they can to diffuse them.
Quid Pro Quo
The phrase quid pro quo is a Latin term that means “this for that.” It’s a part of sexual harassment, and it happens when someone requests sexual favors in return for a job promotion or raise. Quid pro quo can also be reversed whereas the offending party threatens to terminate the employee if he or she does not comply.
Retaliation
A retaliation offense occurs when a coworker or supervisor mistreats an employee because that person blew the whistle on a prohibited activity or filed a case because of discrimination or harassment. Retaliation is a discriminatory act in itself, and it warrants legal action when it occurs.
Contact Us for a Consultation
We at Aiman-Smith & Marcy pride ourselves on our valiant efforts to protect the rights of California workers. We invite you to contact us and schedule a consultation if you feel as though you’ve experienced workplace harassment or discrimination. You have a right to work in a peaceful environment without undue stress and strife. We’re here to see that you do, and we’ll give you a no-risk case evaluation to prove it.
