Regrettably, racial discrimination in the workplace continues to be a problem across Missouri and much of the United States. If you have ever bee a victim of this type of discrimination, you may have firsthand knowledge of how much it can affect your overall quality of life and your ability to earn an income. At Thornberry Brown, LLC, we understand the laws that protect employees with regard to racial discrimination, and we have helped many clients who experienced mistreatment on the job pursue appropriate legal recourse.
Per the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, workplace racial discrimination can occur when an employer, supervisor or colleague treats you differently because of your race, color or because you have certain characteristics related to a particular race or color. You may also be a victim of workplace discrimination if your husband, wife or other family member is of a certain race or color, and you receive discriminatory treatment because of it.
Workplace racial discrimination can also take on many forms. No one in your place of business may harass you or treat you unfavorably because of your race, or because you have close ties to someone of a particular race. This holds true during the interview and application process as well as afterward. For example, an employer or hiring manager may not refuse to hire you strictly because you are of a certain race or skin color. Additionally, once you become an employee, no one can treat you any differently with regard to job duties, promotions, benefits, salary and so on simply because of your race or color.
Your colleagues and employer also may not harass you by making repeat offensive remarks or statements relating to your race or color. There is, however, a distinction between simple teasing and harassment. While an off-color remark or two may be in poor taste, the harassment must be severe enough to create a hostile work environment for the treatment to be racial discrimination in the eyes of the law. More about workplace discrimination is available on our web page.
