Discrimination in the workplace is still very common today.  Whether it comes from a supervisor or a coworker, no employee should be treated differently and unfairly based on who they are.  Under Federal and Minnesota law, an employer is prohibited from engaging in any of the following any of the following:

• • • • Race discrimination
      • Gender discrimination
      • Religious discrimination
      • National origin discrimination
      • Disability discrimination
      • Marital status discrimination
      • Sexual orientation discrimination
      • Age discrimination
      • Ethnicity discrimination
      • Familial status discrimination (including if you are a caregiver)

Discrimination happens in many ways.  For example, you may be experiencing illegal discrimination with any of the following:

• • • • Failure to promote.  Employers often look for the “perfect” candidate to promote, but unfortunately, that decision may be motivated by a person’s race, age, gender, disability status, or other protected status.  This is increasingly common for pregnant women or caregivers.
      • Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment.  Employees are often harassed by others in the workplace based on their age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or race.  Harassment is an illegal form of discrimination in the workplace.
      • Termination.  Whether it’s a layoff or a termination, employers sometimes choose who to terminate, in part, based on a protected status.  State and federal law prohibit terminating an employee based on a protected status, even if the protected status was only a part of the overall decision.

If you are experiencing any type of discrimination at work, contact Kitzer Rochel for a consultation.  The employment discrimination attorneys at Kitzer Rochel will happily discuss your legal options with you.