Oakland Discrimination Attorneys

Knowing that you have been discriminated against by your employer or anyone in your workplace can cause anyone to feel immensely unsafe and vulnerable. Understandably, this can be very distressing and stressful to deal with. But you should know that you have legal options. 

If you believe that you’ve been targeted and discriminated against in your workplace, you can count on the experienced Oakland discrimination attorneys of Minnis & Smallets to get you through this very difficult time. 

What to Know About Employment Discrimination

Put simply, discriminating against someone means treating that individual less favorably or differently. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), discriminating against a protected group or class of job applicants or employees is unlawful. This includes any kind of discrimination based on: 

• National origin
• Race
• Religion
• Pregnancy
• Age
• Color
• Ancestry
• Medical condition
• Marital status
• Physical or mental disability
• Genetic information
• Gender 
• Sex or sexual orientation
• Gender, gender expression, or gender identity
• Veteran or military status

What Discrimination Can Look Like

Discrimination is usually subtle. Because employers know that it can result in lawsuits, they are very careful to avoid doing or saying anything too obvious or putting anything in writing. But there are many signs of discrimination to watch out for, such as the ones below: 

• Sudden changes in how an employer treats an employee upon learning that the employee is a protected class
• Being excluded from events and meetings
• Reduced pay or work hours
• Sudden increase or decrease in workload or work duties
• Different rules involving employees of different backgrounds
• Sudden changes in performance evaluations
• Not considering job applicants with ethnic backgrounds or ethnic-sounding names.
• Making fun of someone’s sexual orientation, gender expression, or accent
• Failure of management to stop sexist or racist jokes at work
• Denying reasonable accommodations for employees because of their disability, pregnancy, or religion
• Retaliation when an employee complained about discrimination or participated in a discrimination proceeding, like a lawsuit or investigation
• Improper disclosure of or questions about an employee’s medical or genetic information

It is also worth noting that employers who belong to the same protected groups as their employees can also engage in discriminatory practices. For instance, a male employer can discriminate against a male employee due to gender.

How to Fight Discrimination in Oakland

Job applicants or employees are normally required to go through the administrative remedies first, which includes filing a complaint with the DFEH or EEOC first before filing a discrimination lawsuit. But they can also forego these administrative remedies and request from the DFEH a right to sue notice. Job applicants or employees also have the option of waiting until the DFEH finishes their investigation or dismisses the case before taking their case to court. 

Learn What Our Skilled Oakland Discrimination Attorneys Can Do For You

At Minnis & Smallets, our skilled Oakland discrimination attorneys fight for employees who have been discriminated against. To better understand your options, call 1-415-551-0885 or contact us online to discuss your situation with our Oakland discrimination attorneys.