Over the course of the last century, American workers have made strides in reducing sex and gender-based discrimination in the workplace and creating safe, nurturing environments for all employees. However, despite the progress we’ve made in recent decades, sex discrimination continues to exist in companies and work sites throughout the country.
Sex discrimination leads to unfair colleague dynamics, which can then lead to depression, resentment, poor communication and low productivity levels.
Discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity or perceived gender is illegal in Washington. Victims of this type of discrimination can contact our firm to discuss the specific details of their cases and work with a knowledgeable employment attorney toward the best course of action.
Video: Attorney Daniel Kalish Discusses Sex Discrimination in Washington.
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Examples of Sex Discrimination in the Workplace
Sex discrimination is a term that covers many types of injustices that occur on the basis of sex, gender, or gender identity. Sometimes, a victim might not realize that he or she has suffered from sex discrimination at the hands of an employer. The following list describes various offenses that are considered to be sex discrimination:
- Passing up a qualified employee for a promotion because of his or her sex or gender identity
- Firing an employee because of his or her sex or gender identity rather than because of poor performance or misconduct on the job.
- Paying employees with the same qualifications and experience different salaries or hourly rates strictly because of their sex or gender identities.
- Providing opportunities for certain positions, such as managerial roles or those working with the public, to only one sex.
- Creating conditions of employment that clearly favor one sex over another.
- Forcing pregnant women to use their vacation or sick days, rather than any type disability pay, for their pregnancies and time spent with newborns, is sex discrimination if employees who are not pregnant may use disability pay for their long-term injuries.
- Any form of sexual harassment in the workplace can be considered a form of sex discrimination because it creates a hostile environment for employees.
- Any form of sex stereotyping is a form of sex discrimination. This includes criticisms of how one manifests his or her masculinity or femininity, assuming that an employee is better suited for certain tasks than others because of his or her sex, and routinely treating all employees of a certain sex as one unit with one set of skills.
As an employee, you have the right to work in an environment free of sexual hostility and discrimination.
Sex Discrimination Attorneys Can Help
Don’t allow sex discrimination to erode your goals and your work ethic. If you’ve been a victim of this type or any other form of discrimination in the workplace, know your rights and speak up. Our team of attorneys at HKM Employment Attorneys LLP are experienced and passionate about employment law in Washington state. Call HKM Employment Attorneys LLP today at 206-838-2504 to get started on your sex discrimination case.
