The Federal government as well as the state of Washington have enacted laws which make it illegal to discriminate based on specified protected characteristics. Depending on what type of trait prompted the discriminatory treatment, government employers and even private organizations in Edgewood can be held liable under various state and federal laws.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

Employment discrimination occurs if an employer treats you wrongly because of your membership in a legally protected category. Employers are prohibited from using specific traits to evaluate you such as national origin, religion, race, age, familial status, or gender. In order for a claim of employment discrimination to be proven, an Edgewood, Washington plaintiff must show that his (or her) employer actively intended to treat him differently because of his protected status.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Washington?

This is demonstrated upon finding a prior history of similar treatment of members of the same class, or upon testimony regarding the employer's statements that a reasonable person would hold to be biased. Additionally, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.

Procedures for pursuing an employment discrimination claim are complicated, because they involve filing the claim with the corresponding agency. An attorney in Edgewood, Washington can assist you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.