Federal employees spend a large portion of their lives in the workplace; so, it’s important for each individual to feel safe, protected, and respected each day. While these factors can be interpreted differently for everyone, the law works to set a basic standard for all federal employees nationwide. For example, employment discrimination is one of the main forms of mistreatment that’s universally intolerable and unlawful.
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC)
While federal employees are protected under the law from discrimination and other forms of mistreatment, such as retaliation and harassment, this doesn’t stop all employers from mistreating their employees. Through a complex complaints process, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) handles mistreatment cases that have already occurred. Investigations are performed on every viable case.
We help employees who have been victims of mistreatment by their employers. We can assist you in filing a complaint through the EEOC, stand by you through every step of the process, and, if necessary, escalate your complaint to a lawsuit. A federal employment lawyer from our team can ensure you feel supported, cared for, and heard.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the primary federal act established to protect employees from discrimination in the workplace. This act makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of color, sex, national origin, religion, or race. Many states reinforce and expand this discrimination law by making their own discrimination laws.
For example, the state of Maryland has a discrimination law that states that it’s unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or genetic information.
Other Antidiscrimination Employment Laws
There are other federal antidiscrimination laws in place that protect specific minority groups from discrimination in the workplace. These laws and other labor laws can often be used to support your case when filing an employment complaint. Some of the antidiscrimination statutes include:
* The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
* The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
* The Americans with Disabilities Act
* The Equal Pay Act
* The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
It’s important to note that antidiscrimination laws also protect employees against retaliation and harassment. Retaliation includes any mistreatment from an employer that may be brought on because an employee took some action that the employer isn’t happy about.
Harassment includes mistreatment that makes the workplace feel hostile in any way. While petty annoyances and isolated incidences typically won’t be considered worthy of a claim, harassment that effectively ruins the workplace environment will usually be found unacceptable under the law.
Reach Out to a Federal Employment Attorney
Speaking to an experienced attorney from Snider & Associates, LLC can help you better assess the mistreatment you’ve experienced and determine whether you have grounds for an official complaint. In some circumstances, your complaint can be escalated to a civil lawsuit in which you may be able to obtain liquidated damages for your suffering.
If you’re ready to speak with a federal employment lawyer about your case in greater detail, call us to schedule a consultation.