and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of particular protected characteristics, both in Athol and elswhere in the state. Under state and Federal law, both private and public employers in Athol may be found liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait originally prompted the discrimination.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

If an employee is a member of a legally protected category and their employer treats them unfairly because of that, the employer will be held liable for employment discrimination. Some traits which employers are not allowed to evaluate employees with are: race, age, national origin, religion, familial status, and gender. Plaintiffs in Athol, Massachusetts are required to prove that their employer treated them unfairly due to their protected status in order to succeed on an employment discrimination claim.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Massachusetts?

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. Moreover, an employer who fires someone or otherwise retaliates because of a discrimination lawsuit is in clear violation of the law.

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