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Discrimination in the Workplace

Employment Discrimination


If you believe your employer acted in a way that was discriminatory towards you, you may need to speak with an employment discrimination lawyer. Under California and Nevada laws, employees have the right to be free from workplace discrimination.

A competent employment discrimination lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of both state and federal laws and hold your employer accountable for their misconduct.

What Exactly is Employment Discrimination?

Discrimination in the Workplace Discrimination occurs when an employer, manager, or fellow employee treats you differently because of your status as a protected class. Protected classes in California include sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, age (40 and over), medical condition, pregnancy, disability, race, marital status, religion, color, national origin, and others—this is not an exhaustive list. A good example of employment discrimination is when your employer terminates your employment shortly after returning from maternity leave. Despite the fact that before the Company became aware that you were pregnant, you received great reviews and no disciplinary action.

The two general categories of discrimination in California law are:

Disparate Treatment Discrimination: This is where an employer openly treats you differently because of the protected characteristics mentioned above. In this case, you’re being discriminated against because of your sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, age (40 and over), medical condition, pregnancy, disability, race, marital status, religion, color, national origin, or other membership within a protected class.

Disparate Impact Discrimination: This is a situation where neutral laws in the workplace lead to the unintentional discrimination of a part of the population. For example, a certain job position might require applicants of a certain height because of its nature. However, this requirement might discriminate against women because they are generally shorter.

What are Some Examples of Employment Discrimination in Action?

As the two categories suggest, employment discrimination can be either intentional or accidental. For example:

  • Paying one employee less than others in a similarly situated position because of their race or gender is a form of discrimination. If this happens, you can take legal action against your employer.
  • Shutting off the elevators to encourage workers to use the stairs to get some exercise. This, in turn, inconveniences the worker who uses a wheelchair.
  • Not hiring an older applicant because they don’t fit the “youthful” culture of the Company.
  • Allowing most employees to work from home, but selectively disallowing certain employees to work from home despite their request for this privilege as a reasonable accommodation for a disability.

You should speak to a workplace discrimination lawyer if something doesn’t feel proper or lawful.

Hire a Respected and Knowledgeable San Francisco Employment Discrimination Attorney

Contact San Francisco employment discrimination attorney Melody Rissell with The Rissell Law Firm today. Why? Because you owe it to yourself to have a knowledgeable advocate on your side fighting for your best interests. Melody takes pride in helping clients get great results and works tirelessly on behalf of people who were wronged in the workplace. Contact Melody today to schedule a free, confidential case review

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