Employment Discrimination Attorneys in California

Despite increased awareness of the importance of implementing workplace practices that are fair to everyone, there are still instances when discrimination occurs in work-related environments. Unfortunately, signs suggesting it’s time to contact employment discrimination attorneys in California aren’t always obvious. Below are some of the less-than-obvious work-related discrimination signs to watch out for while at work.

Lack of Diversity

Simply being in workplace that’s not very diverse doesn’t mean you are being discriminated against. However, you could have a valid reason to reach out to employment discrimination attorneys in California if you are noticing a lack of opportunities with promotions and other perks if you do not fit into your workplace’s typical demographics – e.g., you are among only a handful of women working in a department of mostly men.

Fixed Roles

It could be considered employment discrimination if you are in a workplace where roles are largely fixed. For example, men might be mostly in upper management positions and women may often be relegated to secretarial or lower-level positions. This is more likely to be a possible issue that warrants assistance from employment discrimination attorneys in California if you have qualifications for higher-level positions but you are consistently not given serious consideration.

Demeaning Communication

There’s no denying that communication in today’s workplace is important and essential for optimal productivity. But it can also be a major factor in an employment discrimination case if it’s demeaning or not appropriate. For instance, you may be able to pursue legal action if communication from your supervisor is consistently done in a belittling tone, or if it involves:

• Texts or emails with offensive jokes
• Inappropriate references to gender, race, age, or sexual orientation
• Widely distributed messages that purposely single you out in a negative way

Negative Workload Decreases or Increases

Another subtle form of employment discrimination is an unexpected change in your workload. In some instances, for example, an employer may suddenly start assigning impossible tasks or moving up deadlines to purposely set you up for failure. They may then use your sudden inability to achieve unrealistic goals as a basis for terminating you. On the flip side, you may suddenly begin to be assigned fewer tasks in an effort to nudge you towards deciding to quit out of frustration.

Unfair Workplace Practices

You may also benefit from the services of employment discrimination attorneys in California if you are consistently noticing unfair workplace practices that are affecting you. If you are an older employee, for instance, you might have a valid case if your employer repeatedly passes you over for promotions in favor of younger, less-experienced staff members. Unfair workplace practices may also include:

• Unjustly criticizing your job performance
• Not providing reasonable accommodations if you have a disability
• Making it difficult for you to successfully return to work following maternity leave or recovery from an injury or illness

Facing discrimination in the workplace can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, and even stress-related injuries. This is why it’s best to, at the very least, talk to employment discrimination attorneys in California about your situation to determine what legal options you may be able to consider.