HAVE YOU BEEN DEALING WITH HARASSMENT AT WORK BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN?
Race based discrimination and harassment is illegal under both California and federal law. Under both California and federal law, an employer is prohibited from discriminating against an individual on the basis of their race or color in relation to the “terms and conditions” of employment. “Terms and conditions” include things such as salary, vacation time, title, scheduling, etc. “Race” is typically defined as a person’s ancestry or ethnic characteristics. Race-based discrimination is illegal regardless of whether you are Caucasian, mixed race, or any other ethnicity.
Did you know that your employer may also not discriminate against you based your associations with people of a certain race? This means that you cannot be fired because you have friends of a certain race or because you are married to a person of another race. Discrimination on the basis of “color” is also prohibited under the law. This means that your boss may not give preferential treatment to employees or applicants who have more “Caucasian” features than another person. For example, it is illegal for an employer to hire a lighter complexioned applicant over a person with darker features simply because of their color.
Just recently, it was announced that Whirlpool Corporation must pay over $1 million for harassing a female worker because she is black. The Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) brought the lawsuit on behalf of the employee. The lawsuit alleged the appliance manufacturer allowed the plaintiff to be continually harassed by a white male coworker. The racial harassment escalated into a physical assault.
If you have suffered through a similar situation, get help today. Call the experienced team of lawyers at Greenberg & Rudman LLP. Call us for a free consultation. You can reach us at 1-800-ALAWPRO or 1-800-252-9776. You can also visit us at www.discriminationattorney.com to learn more.
