Discrimination Lawyers San Francisco

There are many different types of discrimination or harassment that a worker can encounter in the workplace. State and federal employment laws prohibit a wide variety of words, gestures, actions, and policies that constitute discrimination or harassment in employment. If you have experienced workplace discrimination or harassment, it is important to consult with a discrimination lawyer in San Francisco as soon as possible. The longer discrimination continues, the more you and your fellow workers will be harmed by violations of your legal rights. You don’t have to stay silent. 

Types of Prohibited Discrimination

There are many types of discrimination that are prohibited under federal law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This applies to all “terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.” That means that an employer cannot discriminate for these reasons when making decisions about hiring or firing employees. Employers also cannot discriminate when making disciplinary decisions or setting the essential terms and conditions of employment (such as pay, shifts, and other key factors). 

Title VII has led to other types of discrimination being recognized and prohibited under federal law. The Act initially banned discrimination in employment based upon a person’s sex. Later, this was understood to ban both pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. Because both pregnancy and sexual harassment are based on an employee’s gender, the law considers this unlawful gender discrimination in violation of Title VII. The Supreme Court recently expanded sex and gender protections further to cover LGBTQ employees.

In addition to federal law, state law grants additional discrimination protections to workers in California. California has some of the broadest discrimination protections in the entire country. These include protections for gender identity and expression, and protections for discrimination based upon natural hairstyles (such as afros, locks, twists, braids and cornrows). 

What You Should Do After Experiencing Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination in the workplace can be an intimidating experience. An employer has more power than an employee, and this can make it difficult to report wrongdoing – especially when the employer is the one doing the wrong. Employees have the right to consult with their own discrimination lawyer to determine the best method of responding to workplace discrimination. An employment lawyer can help you document discrimination with video, photos, emails, surveillance footage, text messages, phone logs, and other physical evidence as lawful and appropriate. A lawyer can also determine the best method of reporting this conduct to the employer. By preparing a comprehensive legal strategy supported by strong evidence, your discrimination claim will have better chances of success. More importantly, you will be in a better position to stop illegal discrimination in your workplace.

The Right Employment Lawyers For All San Francisco Discrimination Cases

The experienced employment attorneys at Minnis & Smallets fight hard to stop discrimination in the workplace. This protects your legal right to be free from discrimination in the workplace, and it also discourages other employers from engaging in this illegal conduct. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced discrimination lawyers in San Francisco.