What Are Examples of Discrimination in the Workplace?

Protected Classes

Federal discrimination laws prohibit employers from making employment decisions regarding hiring, wages, benefits, promotions or termination based upon an employee’s membership of a protected class. Examples of protected classes are:

• Age
• Race
• Religion
• National origin
• Disability
• Pregnancy
• Gender

If you were subject to discrimination, then reach out to Dallas employment lawyer Dan A. Atkerson. He can then advise you on how to best prove your claim. For more than three decades, he has assisted workers throughout North Texas, including in and around Allen, Plano, McKinney, Richardson, and Frisco, effectively file workplace discrimination lawsuits.

Employment Discrimination Overview

• Gender Discrimination
• Racial Discrimination
• Disability Discrimination
• Age Discrimination
• Texas Workplace Harassment Definition
• Workplace Retaliation or Wrongful Termination
• What to Do About Workplace Discrimination

Gender Discrimination

The Equal Pay Act establishes that employees of the same qualifications and skill level must receive equal compensation regardless of their gender. Consequently, gender discrimination can come in the form of unequal pay for equal job responsibility, sexual harassment or a failure to promote one gender over the other.

For example, you are a female employee and notice your male coworkers receive promotions for similar or lesser work. As a result, you may be a victim of gender discrimination in the workplace.

Our Collin County gender discrimination lawyer can help you earn fair treatment and compensation for opportunities you were wrongfully denied on the job because of your gender. Additionally, if you faced sexual harassment at work, then our sexual harassment attorney can file claims or provide you with legal advice. Every Texas employee deserves to work in a comfortable, harassment-free environment.

Racial Discrimination 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination based on their race. Racial discrimination can span from the pre-employment process to on-the-job discrimination. Examples of racial discrimination in the workplace commonly include the:

• Refusal to hire racially diverse employees
• Failure to extend the position to members outside of a particular racial group

If you suffered a severe repercussion, such as wrongful termination, for behavior your coworkers of a different race do not get punished for, then you may be the victim of racial discrimination. Likewise, if you produce quality work on par with coworkers, but you are told your work is unsatisfactory without good reason, then you may have suffered racial discrimination in the workplace. Racial discrimination encompasses acts of workplace retaliation, harassment, and oppression.

Disability Discrimination

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defends the employee rights for individuals with disabilities. The ADA makes it unlawful for an employer to base hiring, firing, promoting as well as health benefit decisions based on a disability.

Under the ADA, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to a job applicant or employee with a disability, as long as the person is otherwise qualified and making the accommodation is not significantly difficult or expensive. This is also true for employees requesting reasonable accommodations to practice religious beliefs that do not interfere with the job requirements. Failure to meet necessary accommodations can be a form of disability discrimination or religious discrimination in the workplace.

As with workplace discrimination of any kind, it is unlawful to harass, or treat inferiorly, employees with disabilities.

Discrimination in the workplace can threaten your future opportunities, career and financial security.

Age Discrimination

The Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA) implements age discrimination guidelines for employees older than 40. If you are over 40 and have been passed up for a promotion you were qualified to receive because of a younger, less experienced employee, then you may be the victim of age discrimination. Some employers may opt to hire or keep on younger employees because they can pay lower wages to save money.

Determining age discrimination can be difficult. Many employers know how to skirt the issue to make it seem like the actions they take against 40+-year-old workers is fair.

Defining Workplace Harassment

Employers cannot engage in or allow harassment of employees due to their membership in a protected class. This includes derogatory comments or racial slurs.

What Qualifies as Sexual Harassment?

Both men and women can be sexually harassed in the form of:

1. Quid pro quo harassment - sexual advances coupled with threats to your employment
2. Hostile work environment - a pattern of harassing behavior severe or persuasive enough to be deemed an abusive environment

Workplace Retaliation & Wrongful Termination

Employers cannot discipline, suspend, lay off or fire employees based upon class distinctions. Furthermore, if a person files a workplace discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), then that person is protected from workplace retaliation. Workplace retaliation includes any acts of employment discrimination or wrongful termination brought on by the workplace discrimination claim.

Protect Your Rights

If you have experienced workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination or workplace retaliation, then reach out to Dallas employment lawyer Dan A. Atkerson. He can review the merits of your case and offer you options using discrimination law to stop or remedy workplace discrimination. He believes in fair opportunities for all Texas employees. Our law firm will work to see your hardships ended and justice served.