North Carolina 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. Therefore, employers may not take sex into account when they determine pay, hire new workers, or promote within the company. They are also required to ensure that working conditions are not hostile toward any one gender and that the environment is not overtly sexual.
What Must be Proven in a Discrimination Claim?
Discrimination can be proven under the Equal Pay act if both men and women do the same type of work for the same employer but are nonetheless paid in different amounts. Employers in Burlington may also be held liable in a discrimination claim if their hiring and promotion policies favor one gender, or if the they take retaliatory action against a worker who files a complaint against their employer.
When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?
Sexual harassment consists of all unwanted conduct of a sexual nature directed towards the victim, and includes both physical and verbal acts. An employer in Burlington might be liable for such conduct, even when it is simply other co-workers that have engaged in harassment.
North Carolina employers who allow conduct to produce an overly sexual work atmosphere may also be held liable for sexual harassment. The specific details for proving intent to discrimination can be complicated, and so gender discrimination might be hard to prove without an attorney. The procedures for filing can also be complex.