and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of particular protected characteristics, both in Northampton and elswhere in the state. Under state and Federal law, both private and public employers in Northampton may 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 class that is legally protected. Traits that employers may not use to evaluate you include race, national origin, gender, religion and familial status. The plaintiff must prove that their employer intended to treat them unfairly because of their protected status in order to prevail on a discrimination claim in Northampton, Massachusetts.

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. Northampton, Massachusetts has many lawyers available to assist you in filing in a timely fashion, and they can also help you pursue any remedies that might be available to you while your case is being processed.