Worcester Employee Discrimination Lawyers Fighting For Your Rights in the Workplace
There is nothing more demeaning than being treated differently just because of who you are or what you’re going through – especially when your job is on the line.
Workplace discrimination is illegal in Massachusetts and under federal law. It creates a toxic work environment, and even more importantly, it is morally wrong. But even though discrimination is clearly unlawful, it isn’t always easy to prove. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a case, that your situation is hopeless, or that you simply have to accept discrimination as a fact of life. On the contrary, people successfully fight back against hostile and discriminatory workplace conditions all the time.
What it does mean, however, is that it is in your best interest to get an experienced Worcester Employee Discrimination Attorney on your side. At MA Employment Lawyers, we spend every day fighting for the rights of mistreated employees like you. Our trusted team of Worcester employee discrimination lawyers has a combined 40 years of experience in fighting back against bias, prejudice, harassment, and unfair treatment in Worcester, Massachusetts workplaces.
If you believe you’ve been the victim of discrimination at your job – even if you aren’t entirely sure – please read the rest of this webpage and then give our office a call. We’re here to help you. It’s what we do.
What Is Employment Discrimination?
Employers subject their employees to discrimination in a variety of different ways. Federal and Massachusetts law prohibits discrimination based on your race, gender, national origin, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and disability.
Federal and Massachusetts law also prohibits discrimination based on your association with someone of a certain race, gender, national origin, color, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and disability.
We’ll take a closer look at various forms of illegal employment discrimination in the section to follow.
Which Types of Employer Discrimination Are Illegal?
As a general rule, your employer can fire you for any reason at any time – unless you have a contract that says otherwise, or the reason for your termination is illegal (as is the case with discrimination).
For example, your employer cannot fire you on the basis of:
- Race or Color – Race discrimination can take many forms, from firing or refusing to hire someone because of their race (the most obvious form) to less obvious forms of discrimination such as treating a minority employee differently or denying them advancement opportunities.
- Gender – If you’ve been passed over, fired, or treated differently because you are a woman or because of your gender, you may have a claim for employment discrimination. Employers are not even permitted to treat employees differently because of stereotypes or assumptions about gender.
- National Origin – The United States is home to people from all over the world. No matter where you were born, you deserve to be treated with equality at your job.
- Age– The Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA) applies to employees over the age of 40 and protects them from unfair treatment and/or termination because of their age.
- Religion – Numerous state and federal rules prohibit religious discrimination in the workplace, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Among other things, employers are generally required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practices and beliefs (unless they show that doing so would be unreasonably burdensome).
- Pregnancy – Unfortunately, there is a long history of employers denying career opportunities to women for fear that they might become pregnant. But your gender, your pregnancy, and your maternity leave are protected from discrimination by law. Many of these protections extend to other family responsibilities as well (including, in some cases, to men who provide some form of family care). A Massachusetts employment discrimination legal team in our office can help.
- Sexual Orientation – Discrimination against LGBTQ employees continues to be one of the most pressing gay rights concerns in America. Many state and federal laws apply to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Disability – In addition to several helpful provisions under Massachusetts law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides powerful protection to disabled applicants and employees.
- Political Affiliation (in some cases) – Discrimination on the basis of your political beliefs or statements, or your party registration, is a complex issue. How the law applies to your situation may depend on the nature of your employment and the details of your situation. We encourage you to contact our office and discuss your situation with a Worcester employee discrimination lawyer to learn more.
Contact MA Employment Lawyers Today
If you think you have been discriminated against, an experienced Worcester employee discrimination attorney at MA Employment Lawyers is here to help. Our dedicated legal team also handles other types of cases such as retaliation, wage violation, and harassment. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us get to work for you.
