Riverside Race Discrimination Lawyer

What Is Race Discrimination in the Workplace?

In these tumultuous times, it seems as if racial discrimination is being discussed at an increasing rate. In workplaces all across the country, from Riverside to Rochester, some employees have had to ask themselves difficult questions. Passed over for promotions or made the butt of racist jokes, some have filed suit in order to right what is so desperately wrong with our society. Although racial discrimination is pervasive, it is often subtle in nature. Over time, it is possible for a typical company to transform into an organization with a culture of discrimination.

For many people, discrimination takes place before they even set foot in the door. In fact, some companies that are charged with racial discrimination will disregard resumes of potential employees with names that might strike them as racially different. Other companies discriminate during phone interviews or in person when they realize that an applicant is of a different racial background than them. When you start to consider how many job candidates can be filtered out by just one person, you begin to realize just how very powerful that the hiring manager may be. And if only one person like this works for an organization, they can preemptively derail the careers of many.

Examples of Race Discrimination in the Workplace

Although racial discrimination can be difficult to define in absolute terms, some behaviors definitely fit the bill. These types of incidents necessitate speaking to a workplace race discrimination lawyer, whether you’re in Riverside or anywhere else in the country. For instance, job candidates should not be asked about their ethnic background in a job interview. Also, a person of a different race cannot be given different job responsibilities than other people who hold that same position. It is important to note, though, that companies will not go out of their way to disclose information that could affect their legal standing. This is why it is crucial to employ the services of a workplace race discrimination lawyer as soon as you can.

Other examples of this kind of discrimination may include: racially charged jokes, asking employees to change their hairstyles, consistently throwing the book at employees of a particular race while others skate by, using “code” words or even slang to refer to employees and discriminating against someone whose spouse or child is of a different race. Of course, there are a plethora of other ways in which people are discriminated against at work, so checking in with a workplace race discrimination attorney can really illuminate whether someone has a case.

Workplace Race Discrimination Statistics

When you look at the statistics, it’s surprising that workplace race discrimination isn’t discussed more often. In the year 2014 alone, over 31,000 of these complaints were lodged with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). When CNN conducted a recent poll, 26% of black workers and 15% of Latinx workers reported that they had not been treated fairly at their jobs because of race—and this was just covering the past 30 days! Meanwhile, 77% of black women in the STEM field felt that they were asked to provide more data than their white male counterparts. While white men seemed to be implicitly trusted in many fields, many others do not receive the same treatment. The stats for discrimination can be skewed, as many of these situations go unreported. But the numbers are troubling, and the more experts look into the issue, the more they find that people of color are not being promoted or offered the same salary as their white counterparts. Those who have the means have been fighting back recently, using the legal system to go after what is rightfully theirs.

Do I Need to Hire a Workplace Race Discrimination Attorney?

If you’re asking this question, then yes. There is not much of a chance you’ll get far without one. Many companies keep experienced lawyers on staff specifically to avoid these types of situations, and you want to come to the table prepared. Anytime another entity retains a lawyer, you will want to hire one as well. Negotiating with a company’s lawyers on your own is never a good idea. An attorney will provide you with the guidance you need, making sure that everything is in order so that you’ll have the best possible chance of presenting a compelling case. Remember that most businesses will do whatever they can to wiggle out of a lawsuit, so it’s up to you to keep them accountable by working with someone knowledgeable. The good news is that consultations are entirely free of charge, so contact our attorney to start putting our experience to your advantage. When there’s so much on the line, you need to think of yourself first.