Workplace Discrimination
A Philadelphia Discrimination Claims Employment Lawyer Fights for Employee Rights
Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on age, race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, disability, religion and sexual orientation. Discrimination can occur with respect to hiring practices, promotion, job assignment, promotion, compensation and termination. If you believe you were the victim of discrimination in the workplace, you should contact an experienced employment lawyer to discuss your rights under the law.
What is Discrimination in the Workplace?
The federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace are seemingly quite complicated. Discrimination can take many forms. Still, you may have a case if your employer treated you differently based on your:
- Age
- Gender or Sex
- Race, Ethnicity or Nation Origin
- Religion
- Disability
- Pregnancy
Work with a Philadelphia discrimination claims employment lawyer dedicated to protecting and fighting for employee rights.
Age Discrimination
According to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and other state and federal laws, it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against employees or job applicants because of their age.
Age discrimination takes many forms in the workplace, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Wrongful Termination: Disguising a firing as “early retirement” or a layoff
- Promotion-Based Discrimination: Younger workers with less experience (and lower salaries) are given promotions over older workers
- Age Discrimination in Job Ads: Using terms like “digital natives” or capping the years of experience required with the intention of ensuring older workers don’t apply.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), approximately 60% of surveyed older workers claimed to have experienced or witnessed age discrimination in the workplace—and 90% of those respondents said it was a common occurrence.
Race, Ethnicity, Religious or National Origin Discrimination
Close to one in three workplace discrimination suits brought to the EEOC in 2018 dealt with race. A PEW Research Center report revealed that 6 in 10 African-American STEM employees experienced discrimination at work. In addition, race hiring biases were just as strong in 2017 as they were in 1989, with white applicants consistently receiving about 36% more job callbacks than equally-qualified African-American applicants.
Race discrimination cases often overlap with discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or nation of origin.
Gender or Sex Discrimination
According to the 2018 EEOC report, US workplaces have a long way to go when it comes to gender parity. According to the study, women are far more likely than men to:
- Have their judgment questioned in their area of expertise (36% of women; 27% of men)
- Be asked to provide evidence of their competence (31% of women; 16% of men)
- Be mistaken for a more-junior employee (20% of women; 10% of men)
- Be addressed in an unprofessional way (26% of women; 16% of men)
These statistics point to a more systematic problem regarding respect for women in the workplace—and doubtless more subtle forms of disrespect hint at an underlying culture where overt forms of sex discrimination are also more likely to happen.
Disability Discrimination
Is your disability impacting your job? Is your employer treating you differently based on your disability? Have you been denied or retaliated against for requesting reasonable accommodations?
You may be a victim of disability discrimination. Disability discrimination involves:
- Treating someone differently, harassing them or refusing to hire them because of a disability or perceived disability.
- Refusing to make reasonable accommodations for a disabled employee.
Take Action Against Workplace Discrimination
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, employment discrimination claims are, depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding the claim, typically filed with the:
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
- Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
- New Jersey Division on Civil Rights.
Claims must be filed with the appropriate administrative agency within an appropriate timeframe as required under the law. If you fail to file your discrimination claim within the applicable statute of limitations, your rights could be forfeited. The Murphy Law Group has substantial experience handling discrimination claims. We can guide you through the complicated legal process.
Work with a Philadelphia Discrimination Claims Employment Lawyer Who is Dedicated to Protecting Employee and Workplace Rights
Murphy Law Group represents residents of Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, including residents of Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Berks, Lancaster, Northampton, Lehigh, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties, residents located in central and western Pennsylvania, as well as individuals residing in New Jersey, who have potential workplace discrimination claims. Murphy Law Group is dedicated to protecting the rights of Pennsylvania and New Jersey workers.
If you believe your rights have been violated, contact Murphy Law Group to schedule an initial free consultation to discuss your potential discrimination claim.