Workplace discrimination can occur under a range of categories in accordance with employment law; however, there are some discriminatory acts that are not legally actionable or do not fall under outlined protected categories. Protected categories include racial discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, disability discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, gender discrimination, and discrimination based on national origin.
The law provides strong protection for everyone against discrimination based on these and other categories; however, proving job discrimination can be difficult. A company’s refusal to hire a person based on certain physical characteristics, or discretion used in their decision to promote one employee over another may not constitute the type of discrimination that warrants legal protection.
Work related age discrimination also typically does not pertain to cases in which an employee is not hired because they are too young. Taking legal action to protect one’s rights against job discrimination can be a complicated matter. In some instances, in which habitual or widespread discriminatory practices within a company are alleged, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may choose to initiate their own investigation to find out if there is sufficient evidence to support allegations of discrimination.
Items taken into consideration for proving or disproving discrimination in the workplace may include statistics, disparate treatment, or whether one’s policies unnecessarily exclude certain groups from qualifying for a position.
The employment lawyers of Keller Grover LLP are available to consult with professionals in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas who believe they have been victims of discrimination, and are in need of qualified representation to stand up for their legal rights against the wrongful actions of an employer.
If you need assistance with a legal matter pertaining to discriminatory practices in employment, or other matters that fall under employment law, please contact our law firm today for a free consultation with a qualified employment lawyer.