Discrimination and harassment claims should never be taken lightly. Discrimination is unlawful and employees who are working in a toxic environment need an attorney to protect their rights. Our attorneys have almost 40 years of experience in employment law, and have helped countless clients achieve their litigation goals. You need an attorney who practices specifically in employment law because staying up to date state on federal employment laws is challenging for lawyers who practice a broad range of law.
What is Discrimination and When Does It Happen?
Discrimination is the act of treating an employee unfavorably because of a personal characteristic that is protected under Missouri or federal law. According to the Missouri Department of Labor, discrimination occurs in regard to:
● The hiring process;
● Training and apprenticeship;
● Classification, compensation, assignment of employees;
● Promotions (or lack thereof);
● Fringe benefits;
● Retirement plans;
● Disability leave;
● Job advertisement;
● Transfer and recall;
● Vacation or sick time;
● Health benefits;
● Testing;
● Use of company facilities;
● Layoff;
● Recruiting;
● Raises; and
● Terms and conditions of employment.
Furthermore, workplace discrimination may be carried out in the form of harassment, such as if an employer makes insults, uses slurs, or mocks, belittles, intimidates, or threatens an employee because of the color of their skin, religion, gender, etc.
Protection Under the Missouri Human Rights Act
Under the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it is unlawful to discriminate based on a person’s protected traits. Similarly, Missouri employees are protected under the Missouri Human Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on the following protected traits:
- Race;
- Color;
- Religion;
- National origin;
- Ancestry;
- Sex;
- Disability; and
- Age.
Retaliation
Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against an employee who files a claim or speaks up against discrimination. Common retaliatory acts by employers include firing, providing fewer working hours, lowering pay, demoting, or treating the employee unfairly in another manner. Our attorneys as the HKM law firm handle all types of workplace discrimination and harassment claims, including all of the following:
- Age discrimination;
- Race discrimination;
- National origin discrimination;
- Sex discrimination;
- Sexual orientation discrimination;
- Disability discrimination;
- Retaliation or discrimination against whistleblowers;
- Wrongful termination; and
- Religious discrimination.
Your Workplace Discrimination Lawyers are Here to Help Today
Racists and anti-Muslims/Semites do not just exist in rallies and on the TV screen. Workplace discrimination is a serious problem in Missouri and across the country, and by allowing it to continue, the difficulties forced upon you and others only increase with time. If you are the victim of workplace discrimination, call a lawyer with the St. Louis, Missouri law offices of HKM Employment Attorneys LLP today. Call 314-391-9558 today to schedule a consultation.
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