Workplace Discrimination Attorney Philadelphia
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION LAW
Discrimination, no matter the specifics, is illegal. Anyone may face discrimination. Likewise, anyone can be discriminatory against someone. More often than not, discrimination takes place in the workplace. Still, discrimination can happen at a grocery store, out shopping, or even when you book an Airbnb in your favorite city. Discrimination is discrimination. That means that anyone can sue for discrimination, regardless of whether they are in the minority or not.
At Freundlich & Littman, LLC, we are your experienced and dedicated discrimination lawyers. We handle all types of discrimination cases. If you face discrimination, you may be able to seek relief for your embarrassment, mistreatment, and any financial harm.
Discrimination can take many forms, but compensation takes only one. Seeking our services is the best way to recover after an act of discrimination leaves you reeling.
What Is Legal Discrimination?
Discrimination can take many forms. Discrimination is slightly different than legal discrimination. Legal discrimination must meet either federal or state statutes. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the government organization tasked with protecting Americans from discriminatory practices. No one understands discrimination better.
By law, no one may discriminate against another individual on the basis of a protected class. Everyone in the United States belongs in one protected class or another. A protected class refers to a characteristic of a person that is legally protected by law. For legal discrimination, it is a matter of proving whether someone discriminated against an individual because of their protected class. Meaning, an individual may be treated a certain way for their behavior and not characteristics.
Currently, these are the protected classes of people as defined by federal law:
- Age.
- Disability.
- Equal Pay/Compensation.
- Genetic Information.
- Harassment.
- National Origin.
- Pregnancy.
- Race/Color.
- Religion.
- Retaliation.
- Sex.
- Sexual Harassment.
Retaliation, for clarity purposes, can be in many forms. Retaliation means that an employer is seeking to punish an employee for a number of reasons such as:
- Making a complaint of discrimination.
- Speaking up for a fellow employee.
- Cooperating in an official investigation of discrimination.
- Cooperating in a legal proceeding regarding discrimination.
Color discrimination is a bit different than race discrimination. Color discrimination stems from the pigmentation of a person’s skin. Namely, if an individual is a darker or lighter skinned member of a particular race.
As a right now, sexual orientation is not protected in most of the country. Still, you might be able to make a case for sexual orientation discrimination. To learn more, please contact our office.
Common Example Of Discrimination
In order to help you understand the reach of discrimination laws, take these common examples into consideration:
- An employee is a minority. Their employer is a company with more than 100 people. Year after year, this employee faces cruel jokes about their race from the other employees. Regardless of their fellow employee’s race, the employee feels discriminated against. They report their feelings to the Human Resources manager who promised support without bias. They tell the employee that “your kind is too sensitive” and dismiss you. This is discrimination.
- An employee is getting on in life. The individual works as a hostess in a local casino. She is 42. For the last six months, her boss has been putting pressure on her to look younger to please the customers. Her regulars do not mind her age, but the comments pick up. Soon, she starts getting worse shifts. Eventually, the employer fires the employee for failure to meet dress code expectations. This is discrimination.
- Last, a man receives a poor medical diagnosis. He is still able to navigate in the world, but every now in then he needs the help of a service animal to navigate. With the proper paperwork and identification on his dog, he enters a large chain hardware store. The store denies entry because of his service animal. This is discrimination.
You may not face retaliation for making a complaint, speaking out against the discrimination of another, or otherwise participating in any “investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit” regarding an act of discrimination.
Philadelphia Discrimination Lawyers
Freundlich & Littman is your local greater Philadelphia area discrimination attorneys. Discrimination is illegal. If you have experienced discrimination from an individual or entity, you have options available to you. You do not have to merely lay down and accept the discriminatory behavior. Discrimination is not merely offensive. It can cause physical, emotional, and financial harm. While a lawsuit cannot make up for the emotional toll that discrimination can cause, it can bring you closure. It can also give you the compensation that you deserve.
Discrimination should not prevent you from living your life as you please. We can help you put your life back together following an act of discrimination. Call us today at 215-545-8500 to schedule a free consultation.
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