Job Discrimination Lawsuit

Discrimination in employment is the damaging treatment of a person or a group of people based on certain characteristics.  Discrimination on grounds such as age, race, sex, pregnancy, disability, religion, or national origin violates federal law and Florida law in most instances. On the other hand, discrimination between employees based on the quality of their work, service, or performance, is often permitted under federal and Florida law.

An employer’s direct discrimination against an employee based upon sex, age, race, religion, family status, national origin, military status, disability may manifest itself in the form of denial of employment, unfavorable treatment, hostile work environment, lower pay, reduced wage, insults (whether in the form of a joke, parody, or even direct humiliation), lack of reasonable accommodation, or other, clear, differences compared to other employees.

An example is a scenario where a woman is not hired because she is pregnant or may soon become pregnant.  Another example is difference in pay between a female employee performing the same job functions as her male co-worker. Or consider the example of a female employee who is subject to crude or lewd jokes or statements or disparaging remarks about women.

Another example can be wrongful termination of an employee based upon gender, pregnancy, race, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, and not upon the merits of job performance.

There are also forms of subtle, indirect, discrimination.  Using some form of disqualifying procedure, disguised as an aptitude or personality test, for example, to exclude otherwise qualified individuals -- if such a mechanism has the effect of disqualifying only persons of a certain race, or color, or national origin -- would be a form of discrimination.

Discrimination Lawsuit

Discrimination claims are legal claims that an employee can bring against an employer, potential  employer, or former employer. Discrimination complaints may arise in the form of discrimination by sex or gender, pregnancy, race, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, and in those jurisdictions where prohibited, sexual orientation.

The discrimination laws can be very complex and the time limits for asserting claims of discrimination can be different depending on the specific factual circumstances involved.

In Florida, employees must often file their charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  A complaint may also be filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) (FCHR), instead of filing directly with the EEOC. Different rules apply to federal employees. In most cases, employees must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC or FCHR prior to filing a lawsuit.

If you are a current or former employee of a large company who believes you have been discriminated against, then contact us. There are strict, and very short, time limits for filing a charge of discrimination. If you delay, you may waive your rights. The consultation is free and confidential. We work with established class action law firms which may be able to help you through your employment claim.