Hostile Work Environment - Ethnic Discrimination in Kansas City

Are you being treated differently at work by your employer or co-workers because of your ethnicity? You may have a claim for ethnic discrimination.

It may be hard to believe but discrimination still occurs in many places of employment. Ethnic discrimination is very serious. It is illegal, no matter what form it may take. Kansas Acts Against Discrimination statutes protect you from being discriminated against on account of your ethnic background. This applies to housing as well as to employers, who are prohibited from either conducting or allowing discrimination in the workplace.

What Does Ethnic Discrimination Consist of? 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines ethnic discrimination as treating employees differently on account of their ethnic origin. It applies to any action or statements by an employer that are based on an individual’s ethnic background. It can also be as a result of the actions of a co-worker in the same establishment. Such actions can include any statements or actions that make the individual feel uncomfortable in the workplace.

Hostile Workplace

When ethnic discrimination becomes constant or when it begins to amount to harassment, it can mean that you are in a hostile work environment. Harassment consists of repetitive acts that are calculated to unsettle or bring discomfort to an individual in the place of work. If you are constantly being subjected to jokes, statements, or actions regarding your ethnic background, you may be suffering harassment.

When the harassment has become so much that you cannot function properly in the place of work, you may be in a hostile work environment. At this stage, your effectiveness at your job or your ability to work in the first place would have been compromised. You can report ethnic discrimination directly to the EEOC Kansas City office.

How Can You Identify Ethnic Discrimination?

It is not always easy to identify ethnic discrimination. It can be subtle. There are some instances that may point to ethnic discrimination. According to the Kansas Human Rights Commission, these include:

• Making policies that have an unequal impact on employees. If they impact employees of a particular ethnic background over others, it may be ethnic discrimination
• Treating employees differently on account of their ethnicity. For instance, consistently refusing to give leadership positions to persons of one ethnic background
• Indulging in bias at the hiring or firing stage. For instance, preferring members of one ethnic group over another
• Conducting promotions or job training on the basis of ethnic background
• Creating different compensation policies for members of opposing ethnic background
• Actions that are supposedly taken for security but which are actually motivated by ethnic or racial stereotypes
• Refusing to let an employee handle certain tasks because of his or her ethnicity. For instance, refusing to let an employee of a certain ethnic background meet with clients of another ethnic background

If you feel you have been subjected to ethnic discrimination but have not seen any situation here that applies to you, you may still have a claim for ethnic discrimination. Get in touch with a lawyer who can help you make sense of your situation and determine what kind of claim you have.

Contact an Ethnic Discrimination Attorney in Kansas City Today

If you are being subjected to discrimination in the workplace and suspect it is due to your ethnic background, now is the time to contact HKM Employment Attorneys. Our legal team stands ready to help and provide assistance.