Imagine if every day you went to work you felt like you were being treated unfairly because of something you couldn’t change about yourself. Or every time you did not get a job, you knew the reason was personal and out of your control. Workplace discrimination happens all the time and Washington employees are no exception. Illegal, yes. But did you know that Washington employment discrimination encompasses everything from age discrimination to sexual discrimination? The state of Washington has laws in place that are intended to protect an employees’ right to work and also prevent discrimination from happening in the first place. But as many of you may already know from experience, this is something that is easier said than done.
Here’s a quick look at some of the different types of Washington workplace discrimination:
1. Race Discrimination: When an individual is denied employment because of his or her race, that is the basic definition of racial discrimination.
2. Pregnancy Discrimination: Pregnancy discrimination can take various forms but is nevertheless a type of illegal employment discrimination that happens in Washington and throughout the United States. If a pregnant woman no longer has her job after maternity leave, there is a legal cause of action. If a woman is denied a promotion because of her pregnancy, there is a legal cause of action. There are other examples, but you get the point.
3. Age Discrimination: With the temperamental economy these days many older employees are staying at their jobs longer or re-entering the workforce. Discriminating against a worker because of age can take place with a current or prospective employee. For instance, an older employee may feel like he or she is being “pushed out” of their job in order for the company to replace the position with younger, cheaper labor.
4. Religious Discrimination: One of the more publicized types of discrimination, the state of Washington has laws in place that protect religion in the workplace by making this type of discrimination illegal and also providing for reasonable accommodations for religion.
5. Sexual Discrimination: In many sexual discrimination instances, employers (or fellow employees) may not even know the actual sexual orientation of another employee that they are engaging in discriminatory tactics against. That being said, discriminating against an employee because of actual or perceived sexual preferences is illegal.
6. Disability Discrimination: Whatever the disability may be, if an employee is fired, not hired or denied career opportunities because of it, there is a legal issue. Also covered under disability discrimination are those scenarios when an employee is denied reasonable accommodations at work.
If you feel like you fit into any of these categories, we can help. As you can see, there are many different types of discrimination that can occur in a Washington employment scenario. Many people do not report discrimination out of fear of losing a job, but these actions are illegal and the law is here to protect you. Most employment discrimination cases are complicated by additional details and working with an employment lawyer can help you get the fair treatment you deserve.
