
In spite of the civil rights advances that have been made in Phoenix and across the nation throughout the past century, it is still relatively common for workers to be treated less favorably than their peers due to employment discrimination. If you have been mistreated as a result of your race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, military service, or in retaliation for engaging in protected activity, a Phoenix employment discrimination lawyer can help you throughout the process of seeking compensation and other remedies. A knowledgeable attorney will have a deep understanding of the state and federal employment laws and will be able to apply their expertise to your case in order to secure the best possible results.
Discrimination in the workplace occurs when a worker receives less favorable treatment as a result of their membership in a protected class. It is against federal law for employers to discriminate against employees in any aspect of employment, including the interview process, assigning jobs and schedules, granting bonuses or commissions, promotions, and even termination. Your employer is also responsible for protecting you from workplace discrimination committed by your supervisors and coworkers.
Federal civil rights laws make it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of race, religion, national origin, genetic information (including family medical history), disability, or age (for those over 40 years of age). It is also illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy.
Some examples of how an employer might discriminate in the workplace include:
In order to file a workplace discrimination claim in Arizona, you should complete the following steps:
If you have attempted to resolve your workplace discrimination on your own but without an adequate response from your employer and you have documented the circumstances in which you were discriminated against on the job, you should call a Phoenix employment discrimination lawyer to assist you in getting the justice you deserve.
If the discrimination you experienced has resulted in your demotion, termination, suspension, or any other detriment to the terms and conditions of your employment, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible for a free, confidential consultation.
In some cases, yes. The unfavorable treatment you received from your employer must have been directly related to your membership in a protected class, in retaliation for reported suspected harassment or discrimination, or participating as a witness in a claim of discrimination or harassment.
Because most employers are aware of protections against discrimination for an employee’s membership in a protected class, it is very unlikely that an employer will admit to it, or provide direct evidence of their discriminatory animus. Instead, this type of case generally relies on evidence such as:
It is against federal law to retaliate against an employee for filing an internal complaint about discrimination, filing a complaint with the EEOC, or filing a federal lawsuit. Employers also cannot retaliate against employees who are witnesses to such actions.