What To Do If You Lost A Job Due To Race Discrimination
According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers in the United States are prohibiting from letting certain personal characteristics affect their decisions in hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, etc. One of the most important personal characteristics protected under the law is race. An employer should not discriminate against you based on your race or your perceived race. If they do, an employment law attorney can talk you through the next steps.
If You Weren't Hired Because of Your Race
You might suspect that an employer turned you down after a job interview because of your race. Title VII covers general characteristics associated with race, such as cultural dress, manner of speech, and hair texture. For example, if you wore clothing or a hairstyle indicative of your culture to the job interview and the employer made a negative comment about it before denying you the job, you could make a reasonable assumption that your race affected their hiring decision. This may give you grounds to bring a discrimination lawsuit against that employer.
It's important to note that in order to win such a lawsuit, you must be able to prove a pattern of discriminatory behavior; typically, a single instance of the employer turning you away from a job would not be convincing evidence to a judge. This is where a race discrimination lawyer can be helpful. Your lawyer may be able to find other people of your race who were similarly denied jobs by that employer, or the lawyer might interview current employees to gather evidence that the employer is biased against other members of your race. A judge may then be convinced to rule against that employer.
If You Are Paid Less Because of Your Race
Under the law, employers cannot make decisions about compensation, promotion, or demotion based on an employee's race. The most compelling evidence that your employer is racially discriminating against you is if you perform the same job as other employees of different races, and they make more money than you. Alternatively, you might have been passed over for a promotion or better-paying opportunity that was given to an employee of a different race. Again, if you and your lawyer can show a judge that there has been a pattern of discriminatory behavior, such as if all the management positions at the company are filled by members of a single race, then you may have grounds for a successful lawsuit.
If You Were Fired Because of Your Race
It's important to remember that not only can an employer not make employment decisions about your actual race, but they shouldn't base decisions on the race they think you are either. If an employer assumed you to be of a certain race and then fired you based on a stereotype of your perceived race, that's a serious violation of your protected rights. An employer might also use the pretext of your hairstyle, facial hair, clothing, or speech associated with your culture to fire you by saying it does not conform to company policy.
For more information, contact a company like Marko Law Firm.
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