Jacksonville Race Discrimination Lawyer
Anyone who applies for a job or currently works for an employer deserves to be treated fairly and should never have to experience discrimination on the basis of race. Yet race discrimination in the workplace happens more often than many of us would like to think, and it is important for employees to know that they have protections under the law. Discrimination on the basis of race or color is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is a federal law. State laws in Florida also prohibit discrimination on the basis of race. Our Jacksonville race discrimination lawyers want to highlight the protections available for employees under federal law.
What is Race Discrimination Under Title VII?
Under Title VII, a job applicant or employee is protected against discrimination on the basis of race or color in addition to having protections against retaliation for bringing a race discrimination claim or participating in a race discrimination investigation at their workplace. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), race discrimination in the workplace “involves treating some (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race,” like a person’s “hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features.” A person can also experience unlawful race discrimination if they are treated unfavorably at work because they are married to, or otherwise associated with, a person of a specific race.
Examples of Race Discrimination Under Title VII
Race discrimination can take many different forms, and it can occur at all stages of the employment process. Examples of race discrimination include but are not limited to the following:
- Advertising for job applicants of a certain race or excluding applicants of certain races;
- Making hiring decisions on the basis of race;
- Promoting or demoting on the basis of race;
- Using race as a factor in making job assignments or schedules;
- Laying off employees of a particular race; or
- Employee experiencing racial harassment at work.
Racial Harassment Prohibited Under Title VII
A person can also face unlawful harassment as a result of race or perceived race in the workplace. To be unlawful under Title VII, harassment must create a hostile or offensive work environment. In most cases, a single incident will not be enough to create a hostile work environment unless it is extremely severe.
Race harassment can be perpetrated by many different parties and is unlawful regardless of whether the harasser is an employer, co-worker, or third party such as a client or customer.
Contact a Jacksonville Employment Discrimination Attorney
If you have faced race discrimination in the process of applying for a job or at your current place of employment, you may be eligible to file a federal claim under Title VII. This federal law covers employers with 15 or more employees. Even if you work for a smaller employer, you may have options to file an employment discrimination case. One of our experienced Jacksonville employment discrimination attorneys can assist you. Contact the Law Offices of Carol M. Galloway, P.A. for more information.
