Both Florida and the federal government have passed laws that prohibiting discrimination on the basis of certain protected characteristics. Under state and Federal law, both private and public employers in Okaloosa County can be found liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait originally prompted the discrimination.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

Employment discrimination can occur if the employer treats an employee unfairly based on their membership in a category that is legally protected. Employers can not base their evaluations of you on certain traits including religion, race, age, gender, national origin, and familial status. The plaintiff must prove that their employer intended to treat them unfairly because of their protected status in order to succeed on a discrimination claim in Okaloosa County, Florida.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Florida?

This will be proven if the employer in question has treated others of the same class in a comparable manner. It may also be shown when there is testimony regarding specific employer statements that a reasonable person would define as biased. Furthermore, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.

The procedure for pursuing an employment discrimination claim is complicated, since it involves filing a claim with specific agencies. An attorney in Okaloosa County, Florida can help you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.