San Francisco Sexual
Orientation Discrimination Lawyer
As diversity gains traction in the workplace, you might hope that sexual orientation discrimination will cease to be an issue, but for the time being, it continues to occur in at work, in public places, in the schools and just about any place where people gather. Although lawmakers are working to enact new statutes that address this significant problem, people’s prejudices can be slow to change. If you are subject to discrimination due to your LGBT status in your San Francisco workplace, a sexual orientation discrimination lawyer can help.
What is Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace?
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, federal law prohibits federal employers from discriminating on the basis of gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Additionally, although only about half of the individual 50 states have enacted statutes protecting you from sexual orientation discrimination, companies of all sizes nationwide are adding such protections to their formal policy statements.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on a number of bases, can apply to sexual orientation discrimination against job candidates, current employees, and former employees, too, according to EEOC. If you believe that your employer’s hiring, promotion and/or termination decisions have been influenced by your gender identity or sexual orientation, you should get in touch with a San Francisco sexual orientation discrimination lawyer to discuss your rights.
Examples of Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace
When employers, managers and even co-workers make decisions that are influenced by your sexual orientation, those decisions are discriminatory. Such discrimination could cause you to lose a promotion, lose a job or lose satisfaction in your career. You might not even be hired in the first place. Other examples of sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace include:
- Being terminated because you plan or undergo a gender transition
- Being forced to use a restroom that does not match your identified gender
- Being ostracized because of your sexual orientation
- Being paid less than your coworkers due to being LGBT
- Being called/identified regularly by your pre-transition name
- Experiencing coworker harassment due to being LGBT
You may also be discriminated against at work because of two or more statuses, such as your gender orientation and your age. For instance, you may lose a job opportunity because you are older than the other candidates as well as being LGBT. Your success in proving this prejudicial treatment on both counts depends upon your sexual orientation discrimination attorney.
It is important to remember that negative outcomes in the workplace are not always directly connected to your sexual orientation, age, race or other types of discrimination. For example, if you are passed over for promotion because an equally qualified coworker was selected, that doesn’t necessarily indicate unlawful discrimination. Similarly, if you are fired for chronic lateness, that does not always mean that you have been unfairly treated. Your lawyer can help you determine whether or not you have a good reason to pursue compensation.
Sexual Orientation Discrimination Statistics
- One-fourth of LGBT employees say they have experienced discrimination over the previous five years.
- Transgender unemployment in the U.S. is triple the rate of the national average.
- More than half of transgender people in the workforce say they were not hired, demoted or fired because of gender identity.
- One person out of 10 has had to leave a job due to sexual orientation discrimination.
Change in company policies regarding sexual orientation discrimination is happening rapidly. In 1996, just four percent of Fortune 500 firms had a written policy addressing discrimination of LGBT individuals. By 2017, 97 percent of the companies had such formal non-discrimination policies. Because California is one of the states that has enacted sexual orientation discrimination laws to protect people in the workplace, you have the legal right to seek compensation for discriminatory actions against you in this state.
Do I Need to Hire a Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawyer?
Even in cases where discrimination seems to be very clear, only a legal advocate has the critical knowledge and experience to help you navigate the law, the mediation table, and the court system. Discrimination is often difficult to prove because of such factors as witness reliability and the accuracy of records. Additionally, if you are challenging an organization that has significant legal representation, you need a sexual orientation discrimination attorney in your corner to fight for your rights effectively.
At Rizio Lipinsky Heiting, we provide the legal advocacy you need in San Francisco to get you the compensation you are entitled to by law. Get in touch with us to arrange your free initial consultation and get the answers you need. Call 888-292-8888 or fill out the contact form on our website today.
- This article should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship with anyone. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney in your community.
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A Review of Rizio Lipinsky Heiting
Sexual Orientation Discrimination Lawyer
I was the victim of harassment at my place of work, based on my same sex relationship and my status as a gay male. I was taunted, called names, humiliated in front of co-workers by my supervisors and manager. When I told my H.R rep and district H.R they did nothing. The last straw was when my H.R and supervisor started telling the general workforce about my sexual status and if they've ever seen me in any lude acts. That's when I took legal acting against the company. Daren was recommend to me by a friend, so i looked him up and read his profile. I was looking for a lawyer who had experience in labor relations, sexual harassment and harassment based on sexual orientation and he fit the bill.
From our first meeting, he made me feel comfortable discussing the full details of what was happening to me at work. He took notes and kept me composed during every meeting we had. He gave me realistic time frames for what was to come moving forward. Standing up to my harassers was not easy but Daren assured me that I was making things better for myself and others.
Fast forward several months.... Litigation time. He prepared me about the environment we were about to enter. I was extremely nervous and excited at the same time. I wanted to tell the "Big Brown company" I have worked for and still do what they've done to me and how wrong they were to treat me and many others like me that way. So they had the TEAM of lawyers and the district H.R manger on one side and Daren and I on the other. Daren's words were sharp, clear and to the point. To make a long story short, we came to a very fare settlement. I did not loose any wages and still had my job which I've held for 17 yrs.
In the end I left really good for what I've done and I owe it all to Daren, for taking my case, knowing the law and caring for peoples rights in today's society.
5/5