Even though there are laws to protect California workers from discrimination, many employees still struggle with discrimination in the workplace. While discrimination based on race and age are well-known, there are many other types of scenarios that employees can face every day. This includes part-time discrimination, family responsibility discrimination and gender discrimination.
Part-time employees are often considered to be less productive than full-time employees. Because of this stereotype, part-time employee discrimination may involve treating the employee differently. They may be passed over for special projects or lose out on other opportunities. Those who have family obligations may also be discriminated against. For example, working mothers often need a more flexible schedule in order to take care of any potential emergencies. Discrimination may come in the form of being denied family leave or being treated differently if they are responsible for taking care of an elderly parent.
Gender discrimination can be a major problem for both men and women. Women may be held back from leadership positions or required to essentially be secretaries simply based on their gender. Likewise, men may be expected to work longer hours in order to support the family. Even if men and women are hired to take on roles that they would not traditionally be offered, they may still face discrimination based solely on how they act.
Workplace discrimination in any form can cause employees to be less productive and miss out on certain opportunities, such as promotions and general advancement. An employment law attorney may assist with filing a lawsuit against the company if there is evidence that an employee was discriminated against due to their age, employment status and even their gender. In many cases, the attorney will work to negotiate a settlement that compensates the employee for loss of income and potentially even punitive damages.
