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Protecting Employees from Illegal Discrimination
Anyone who spends years in the workforce will likely have a rude boss, get a negative performance review, or be rejected for a promotion at some point. But if these experiences keep happening to you at your job, you may have been unfairly targeted based on factors other than your job performance.
Sometimes negative work experiences go beyond normal or fair and become workplace discrimination. A skilled Orange County employment attorney can review your situation to determine if your employer has discriminated against you and what the next step in your discrimination claim should be. Contact our Orange County, CA law firm for a free consultation with compassionate discrimination lawyers.
What Is Employment Discrimination?
Both federal and state laws prohibit employers from making employment decisions based on protected characteristics. When employers break these laws, they could face employment discrimination claims.
The definition of a protected characteristic depends on the state, as states like California have added certain characteristics to their list of protected classes. As a result, it is illegal for employers to make adverse decisions based on any of these characteristics:
- Race
- Age
- Religion
- National origin
- Disability
- Sex
- Gender identity
- Sexual orientation
- Marital status
- Genetic information
- Medical condition
- Veteran status
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
If you belong to a protected category and believe you have been treated unfairly because of that, you might have a workplace discrimination claim. Experienced Orange County discrimination lawyers can let you know if there’s enough evidence to bring a claim against your employer, so contact our Orange County law firm for a free consultation with a discrimination attorney.
What Are Examples of Discrimination at Work?
To prove discrimination, you must show that your employer has treated you unfairly because of your protected characteristics. In particular, you must show that they either made key employment decisions based on your protected class or created a hostile work environment due to it.
Examples of employment decisions include hiring, promoting, giving raises, firing, and denying promotions and raises. So, if you have reason to believe you were passed over for a promotion due to age discrimination or fired because you asked for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, you can claim that your employer made adverse decisions based on your protected class.
Another discrimination claim you can make is that your supervisors or coworkers created a hostile work environment for you because of certain characteristics. For instance, if you’re frequently subjected to offensive jokes and comments regarding your race, sex, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic, your workplace discrimination lawsuit might focus on the hostile work environment that your employer created.
You shouldn’t have to dread going to work because you know you’ll face insensitive comments, sexual harassment, or other unacceptable issues. You also shouldn’t have to worry about unfair treatment and outright discriminatory actions, such as being demoted or wrongfully terminated, due to your national origin, mental disability, or other traits. Skilled Orange County discrimination lawyers can provide the legal guidance you need for your case, so contact Odell Law, PLC for a free consultation.
What Should You Do If You Experience Workplace Discrimination?
Once you realize you’ve been facing workplace discrimination, it’s essential to act quickly. You shouldn’t have to keep putting up with discrimination at work, so you should take legal action today to protect your mental and emotional health. You can start by scheduling a free consultation with an Orange County, CA employment law attorney to determine if you have a strong workplace discrimination case.
While you wait for your free consultation with Orange County discrimination lawyers, you should focus on collecting documentation to prove your accusations. Some documents to look for include emails, letters, text messages, and awards. You’ll want evidence that you have been meeting or exceeding the expectations your supervisors set for you. This will strengthen your claims that your wrongful termination or lack of promotions was based on discrimination due to protected traits, not poor job performance.
Similarly, if you’ve been treated unfairly or cruelly at work due to discrimination, start gathering evidence. Write down any incidents you can think of where you felt discriminated against, and be sure to include the date, the names of the people involved, and a description of their discriminatory actions. If you have coworkers or friends who witnessed the discrimination, ask for a statement from them, or at least let them know your Orange County discrimination lawyer might contact them for one soon.
You should also report the discrimination to the HR department. Check the employee handbook to ensure you follow the procedure for reporting grievances. Skilled Orange County discrimination lawyers can also help you with this step before beginning the legal process, so ask for any help you need during your free consultation. If you’re looking for an employment law attorney you can trust with your discrimination case, contact our California law firm for a free consultation with Orange County discrimination attorneys.
Do You Need Help from Orange County Discrimination Lawyers?
An experienced attorney in Orange County, CA can help your discrimination case go as smoothly as possible, so it’s important to attend a free consultation to discuss your legal options. When you come to our California firm for a free consultation with skilled Orange County discrimination lawyers, you’ll benefit from our knowledge of employment law, the Civil Rights Act meant to protect employees, and the federal law enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
As our Orange County discrimination attorneys consider your case, we’ll determine which laws apply and look for direct evidence that your employers have committed illegal discrimination. We will then decide on the best course of action for your employment law case and calculate your damages for lost wages, emotional distress, and more. If you’re ready to learn what to expect from your discrimination case, call 949-771-8173 for a free consultation with caring Orange County discrimination lawyers.