What Type of Conduct is Prohibited in Montana?
Montana employers must abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1963 and the Equal Pay Act, both of which prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender. Accordingly, employers may not take sex into account when they determine pay, hire new workers, or promote within the company. They are also required to make sure that the working environment is neither hostile to a specific gender nor overtly sexual.
What Must be Proven in a Discrimination Claim?
Under the Equal Pay Act, discrimination is proven when both men and women do the same type of work in the same job and yet are given different wages. Also, a claim may prevail if an employer in Great Falls hires only one gender, promotes workers because of their gender, or retaliates against those seeking relief for this misconduct.
When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?
Physical or verbal acts of a sexual nature that are unwelcome to the victim are considered to be sexual harassment. A Great Falls employer could be held liable for the unwelcome conduct, even if it was an employee's co-worker who engaged in the sexual harassment.
A Montana employer could also be liable for harassment if they allow conduct to lead to an environment that is overly sexual. Without a lawyer, it can be difficult to prove gender discrimination because the details in proving intent are often complicated. Also, there can be specific procedures that must be closely followed in pursuing a claim.
