Ohio employers are legally prohibited from treating employees unfairly because of their race, religion, age, disability, pregnancy, sex, or national origin. When an employer fails to abide by these laws, he or she can be held accountable in court, so if you were discriminated against in the workplace and have questions about where and how to file a claim, you should speak with a Lancaster employment discrimination lawyer who can walk you through the filing process.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their:
Although not contained in Title VII, other federal laws also protect employees from being discriminated against based on their age, gender, pregnancy, or disability. Ohio law also specifically includes these protections in its anti-discrimination statute.
Some of the most commonly asserted employment discrimination claims are based on claims of race discrimination. Discrimination based on race or color occurs when an employer treats an employee or applicant unfavorably just because of that person’s race or perceived race. The law’s prohibition against discrimination also includes a prohibition against harassment, which means that employers and coworkers cannot make inappropriate jokes, use racial slurs, or display offensive symbols. While teasing may not reach this threshold, behavior that is so frequent or serious that it results in the creation of a hostile work environment or an adverse employment decision does satisfy the legal criteria of harassment.
While outright discrimination is obviously prohibited, not everyone is aware that more subversive and less obvious forms of discrimination are also illegal. For example, it is unlawful for an employer to create a job policy if:
This is true even when the employment policy applies to everyone.
Sex discrimination is another commonly asserted employment-related claim and involves treating an applicant or employee unfairly because of that person’s sex. This could include discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status, and can also take the form of sexual harassment, which is defined as including:
Those who are the victims of sex discrimination in the workplace can file a claim with either the EEOC or the OCRC for back pay and reinstatement.
Both federal law and Ohio law protect employees from being discriminated against because they:
Under Title VII, this includes a prohibition against segregation based on religion. Additionally, the law requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious practices unless making the accommodations would cause more than a minimal burden on business operations.
If you have been the victim of unfair treatment at work because of your race, sex, age, or disability, please contact one of the compassionate and skilled employment law attorneys at Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC by calling (614) 463-9790 or by filling out one of our online contact forms.
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