Has your boss denied you a promotion because you’re pregnant? Or perhaps you’re disabled and your employer refuses to accommodate you. Both of these are examples of employment discrimination.
Federal and Florida labor law protects you from certain types of discrimination, but sometimes, it’s hard to know whether your employer is discriminating against you. Here is more about discrimination in employment and a few different types of workplace bias.
Age Discrimination
Let’s start this list of workplace discrimination categories with a very common one: age discrimination. If you’re older, you may have experienced this type of discrimination yourself. Perhaps you applied for a job for which you were qualified, but an employer turned you down for a much younger, less-experienced candidate.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects employees 40 and older from discrimination based on age. If an employer only hires young workers, they might be breaking the law.
Disability Discrimination
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) protects workers with disabilities and those who live with or have a relationship with someone with a disability.
For example, if your employer denied you the chance for work-related travel opportunities because they assumed you had to stay home to take care of a disabled relative, that would be against the law.
It’s also illegal to refuse to accommodate your disability if the employer knows about it. If you make a reasonable request for accommodation and your employer says no, this is against the law.
Race Discrimination
Has your employer ever made comments about the color of your skin or other attributes of your race, either positive or negative? They may have committed race discrimination. Comments that fall under this employment discrimination type may include:
- “That’s a weird hairstyle.”
- “I’m surprised you can speak English so well.”
- “People like you are always so slow.”
Your employer also may not engage in unfair hiring or disciplinary processes based on race. For example, if they only punish people of your race who show up late, that’s discrimination.
Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination is very common, especially for women. In 2014, sex-based discrimination made up 30% of all complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Women filed nearly 75% of these charges, indicating that gender discrimination is a big problem women in the workplace face.
If you feel that your employer has discriminated against you because of your gender, reach out to a Florida labor law attorney.
Pregnancy Discrimination
Has your employer fired you after learning of your pregnancy, even though you previously had good performance reviews? Or perhaps an employer refused to hire you once they noticed that you’re expecting. Some employers may terminate your position while you’re on leave after giving birth. All of these situations are illegal.
Your employer must provide accommodations if you need to breastfeed or pump at work. Not doing so is against the law.
Religious Discrimination
Does your employer refuse to grant time-off requests for religious holidays? Maybe they steer you away from public-facing roles because you wear religious clothing and, as they say, they “don’t want to offend clients.” Your boss is breaking laws if they do such things.
Did your employer threaten to fire you for attending (or not attending) church? That’s illegal too, and a labor lawyer can help.
Contact a Labor Law Attorney in Florida
If you think your boss is breaking the law, contact Mark J. Berkowitz in Fort Lauderdale. With more than 30 years of experience seeking justice for clients, Mark J. Berkowitz is on your side.
Call (954) 527-0570 to speak with a Florida labor law attorney now.