
If you have experienced discrimination or harassment as a federal employee, you must meet strict deadlines to preserve your rights. Speak with an experienced federal employment attorney to ensure you get the justice you deserve.
Federal employees, applicants for employment, and former employees are protected from discrimination or harassment based on their:
Harassment, in itself, is a form of discrimination that is based on the classes above. By law, harassment is unlawful if it does any or a combination of the following:
Of course, the level of harassment must be such that any reasonable person may deem it harassment. Often, minor incidents or annoyances can be agitating, but they may not be considered unlawful conduct.
Harassment can be many things, such as intimidation, ridicule, offensive jokes, physical assaults and threats, and much more. Employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent any forms of harassment in the workplace.
Employers have a right to fire you for many reasons, but they cannot base any part of their decision on the fact that you filed a complaint of discrimination or harassment. In fact, not only can the employer not fire you, but they’re prohibited from doing any of the following because you filed a complaint:
Employers are notified of the complaint, and some employers may not follow the law. However, if they do fire, harass or retaliate against you in some way, this is also unlawful.
Federal employees must pay close attention to the date of any discriminatory event. Under federal law, you must notify the proper agency personnel within 45 days of any discriminatory or harassing event. Missing this strict deadline means that you’ll lose your opportunity to file a discrimination claim.
Once you decide to take action, your case can take many different paths based on how your claims are alleged and whether you have legal representation or not. It is essential to contact a federal employment attorney to ensure your civil rights to be free from discrimination and harassment are protected.
If you haven’t contacted an EEOC attorney yet, it’s time to do so now. We recommend that our clients contact us the moment they experience discrimination or harassment in the workplace. Early contact allows us to:
Regardless of where you are in the process, we can help ensure that you get the justice you deserve.
Multiple laws protect against harassment, but the most commonly cited and enforced under the EEOC are:
A hostile work environment is created when someone you interact with as part of your job subjects you to derogatory, abusive, or intimidating conduct based on your membership in a protected class.
Yes. If you believe that you’re a victim of employment discrimination, contact a lawyer immediately. Experience fighting discrimination is crucial to your case, and for most victims, this is their first time going through the process.
An experienced federal employment attorney can help ensure you get the justice you deserve when you have been subjected to unlawful discrimination or harassment.