Washington DC Employment Discrimination Lawyer
If you’ve experienced discrimination at work, you’re protected under federal antidiscrimination laws. Reach out to an employment discrimination attorney in Washington DC to seek justice and file an official complaint.
Discrimination in the workplace can be particularly disheartening because your job is supposed to be a place where you can feel safe. When you spend the majority of your day at work, it’s essential that both your coworkers and your employer treat you with respect. If you have been targeted in Washington DC because of your race, religion, or some other circumstance, you have specific rights that protect you.
Filing an employment discrimination claim may seem daunting when the discrimination wasn’t out in the open. A Washington DC employment discrimination lawyer from Snider & Associates, LLC can help file a complaint against your employer and work to ensure justice is served. Hopefully, you’ll feel more at peace once the discrimination has been dealt with and your employer will remedy the situation.
Laws Protecting Employees against Discrimination
Federal statutes have been put in place to protect employees against discrimination of all sorts. One of the most prominent statutes protecting all employees nationwide is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law states that it’s unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Because there are additional groups who can be discriminated against who may not fall under one of the categories listed in Title VII, numerous other statutes have been put in place to protect various other groups of employees in special circumstances. Some of these statutes include:
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (Section 1981)
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- The Equal Pay Act
- The Americans with Disabilities Act
- The Immigration Reform and Control Act
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
So, for example, if you’ve experienced discrimination due to your age, a genetic diagnosis, or because you’re pregnant, you can file a complaint and claim support under one of the relevant statutes listed above. Your employment discrimination lawyer in Washington DC can help assess your specific incident and determine what type of discrimination took place.
How Discrimination Often Occurs in the Workplace
Discrimination in the workplace is most often talked about in the hiring and firing process. An employer isn’t allowed to withhold a job opportunity from a potential employee because of their race, color, sex, age, genetic makeup, religion, pregnancy status, disability, or other circumstance protected under federal law. Similarly, an employer can’t fire an employee because of these reasons.
Oftentimes, discrimination happens outside of the hiring and firing process as well. For example, in some cases, if an employer withholds a promotion, verbally abuses an employee, or pays an employee less than another with the same job, discrimination may be the underlying cause for the mistreatment.
An investigation of the incident will be done to determine whether any other motivation would’ve warranted the hiring, firing, lack of promotion, or other workplace incident. The lack of proper incentive for workplace discipline or ill action against an employee can serve as evidence in a discrimination complaint.
Steps for Filing a Workplace Discrimination Complaint in DC
When you experience discrimination in the workplace, you’ll need to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Having an experienced legal team to support you through this process can be helpful because the EEOC process can be complex. To file a claim, you can go to your nearest EEOC office or file online, by mail, or by phone.
Discussing your incident with an EEOC staff member can make the process go more smoothly because they’ll be able to hear how the incident happened firsthand. Your attorney can come with you to meetings with the EEOC, and it’s essential to provide the EEOC with any evidence you may have gathered, including employment contracts, complaints, pay stubs, or witness testimonies.
Pursuing an Employment Discrimination Lawsuit
Once you’ve successfully filed a claim with the EEOC, they can review your incident, contact your employer, and come to a verdict on whether you should be remedied for the discrimination. The investigation can take 180 days, and the EEOC may suggest that you and your employer attend mediation to amend the issue.
If the EEOC can’t come to a decision on your incident or if you don’t agree with their decision, you can request a notice of a right to sue. Once the right to sue is granted, you should be able to file an employment discrimination lawsuit against your employer for damages.
Reach Out to a Washington DC Discrimination Attorney
You’ll have to file a complaint with the EEOC before you’re able to file a lawsuit; however, hiring a Washington DC attorney from Snider & Associates, LLC as soon as you experience discrimination at work can ensure you’re properly supported every step of the way in your case.
If you’re ready to speak with a Washington DC employment discrimination lawyer about your case, fill out the contact form below or call 410-653-9060 to schedule a consultation.