Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers aren’t allowed to discriminate against employees based on their country of origin, background, or race. Georgia state employment laws also prohibit national origin discrimination during every step of the employment process. This means that you can’t be denied benefits, duties, or privileges based on your country of origin. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal law protecting employees from such discrimination.
The Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act also prohibits national origin discrimination, but the law only applies to state agencies with 15 or more employees.
In some cases, recent legal immigrants to the U.S (Green Card holders and citizens) are affected by national origin discrimination. You may find yourself having difficulty finding a job (for which you’re qualified) or even accessing housing, education, and healthcare. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate during the hiring, firing, or recruitment process based upon a person’s citizenship or immigration status.
If you feel that you’ve endured employment discrimination against based on your national origin in Atlanta, don’t hesitate to contact a national origin discrimination lawyer.
Defining National Origin
There’s confusion that surrounds what national origin means. This is one of the reasons why employers may be engaging in such discrimination without knowing that it’s illegal. Under the law, national origin is a form of workplace discrimination due to an individual’s nationality, ancestry, culture, or linguistic characteristics. It’s not the same thing as racial discrimination or religious discrimination.
National origin extends beyond the country that you may come from, as it also applies to any group of people that are associated with a specific ethnic group.
What Is Natural Origin Discrimination?
National origin discrimination is defined as the act of treating someone differently because of the country that they came from (or the ethnicity that they’re associated with). Employers aren’t allowed to view any job applicants or employees less favorably because of origin. Natural origin discrimination also extends to the following:
- People who are married or associated with particular ethnic or national groups
- People who are members of specific ethnic promotion associations
- People who attended special schools, churches, or institutions affiliated with particular groups
- Names that are associated with a specific national origin
- Clothing or traits that are affiliated with particular cultural groups
How a National Origin Discrimination Lawyer Can Help
If you’re a victim of national origin discrimination, you may be eligible for compensation due to damages incurred. For example, you could get back pay for denied wages, front pay for opportunities that you qualified for (but weren’t allowed to access), and compensation for emotional damages. You may also obtain reimbursements for attorney fees and any associated court costs.
Working with an employment lawyer whose practice areas include discrimination will help you present a strong case against the discriminating party. At HKM Employment Attorneys, our team of experienced employment discrimination lawyers will help you fight back against national origin discrimination in the workplace. Whether you work in Atlanta, DeKalb, Decatur, Alpharetta or elsewhere in Fulton County, our law firm can handle your discrimination case.
Call 404-301-4022or fill out this form and we will get back to you ASAP.