Believe it or not, workplace discrimination is still prevalent nowadays. It may be illegal, but some companies get their way out of it. Sometimes, the management will frame the victim and make it seem like the employee is at fault. Sadly, discrimination is not appropriately addressed because the employee is afraid to speak up, given that they might lose the job.
On top of that, some prejudices are normalized because the company thinks it’s not a big deal. As a result, discrimination persists, and victims are left with nothing but trauma. If you experience mistreatment in your workplace, a top-rated lawyer like LA Discrimination Attorney Omid Nosrati will provide guidance in obtaining justice and preserving your right as an employee.
What are the most common types of workplace discrimination?
Victims of workplace discrimination might not be aware that they are being abused or harassed in the first place. Thus, it is pivotal to know if there are mishaps in your job to provide equal opportunity practices, increase productivity, and achieve a harmonious work environment.
Every year, the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOOC) releases data of total charges filed within multiple types of discrimination. The five most common types are retaliation (55.8%), disability (36.1%), race (32.7%), sex (31.7%), and age (21%).
Retaliation
In 2020, there is a total of 55.8% retaliation charges filed. Employees are often bothered to speak mistreatments at work for they might face the consequences, including:
- Purposefully providing employees low salaries and neglecting their benefits.
- Demoting or terminating the employee with make-shift reasons.
- Transferring the employee to a different department.
Employees must know that they have the right to report any wrongful act at work and file a discrimination claim when necessary. The employer cannot retaliate against an employee for they can obtain various liabilities. If you are a victim of retaliation, take legal action and get help from an employment lawyer to address these issues.
Disability
Disability discrimination happens when a co-worker or an employer makes unsolicited comments about an employee’s disability, then uses it as a reason to demote, provide unfavorable work conditions, and, worse, terminate the employee. Further, it is also present when a disabled worker is prevented from enjoying certain work benefits only because assumptions have been made that they cannot be productive due to their disability.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer cannot discriminate against an employee because of their disability. Following are other examples of disability discrimination:
- Not hiring a candidate due to their disability.
- Giving less salary than other non-disabled employees.
- Refusing to accommodate a disabled employee for multiple insufficient reasons.
Race
Racial discrimination has existed for decades, so expect that this is common in the workplace. Some companies hire a person of color, but they treat them with less respect and recognition. Examples of racial discrimination are the following:
- Refusing to promote or increase raises due to their race
- Administering policies that attack one racial group over another
- Favoring a certain racial group during the hiring process
- Often subject to unfair scrutiny
Sex
Sex inclusivity has progressed as years go by. Women are now allowed to perform “manly” jobs, and members of the LGBTQ community are supported and welcomed in society. However, there is still a great deal of sexual discrimination that happens in the workplace. Some of these include:
- Making sexual comments to an employee
- Sending unsolicited sexual photos and messages
- Casually making sexual and offensive jokes
- Seeing a particular gender as more dominant and hiring them regardless if they are qualified for the job or not
Age
In terms of age, the most discriminated group are older workers that people see as incapacitated to exert any work. Some technology companies that require advanced knowledge to market trends unconsciously practice ageism, for they are more inclined to hire a young workforce. Aside from that, other factors can be considered as age discrimination, including:
- Refusing to hire older adults, assuming that they are less productive than the younger workers, regardless if they have good skills and credentials
- Having the fear that hiring older people can brand their company as old-fashioned
- Replacing older employees with new, young, and fresh ones because the former entails higher salaries for their years of service
Conclusion
Experiencing any kind of discrimination at work is not acceptable, whether it is extreme or not. As an employee, it is your right to be treated fairly and just given that you also provide the right amount of service in the company. Therefore, if you are suffering discrimination, immediately contact an experienced and seasoned employment attorney to provide legal advice and help you attain the justice you deserve.
