Certain characteristics are protected against discrimination under both and federal laws in Washington County and other communities of Oregon. Depending on what type of trait prompted the discriminatory treatment, government employers and even private organizations in Washington County may be held liable under various state and federal laws.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats you wrongly because of your membership in a legally protected class. Employers can not base their evaluations of you on certain traits including religion, race, age, gender, national origin, and familial status. Plaintiffs in Washington County, Oregon are required to show that their employer treated them unfairly due to their protected status in order to prevail on an employment discrimination claim.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Oregon?

This can be proved when there is a history of the employer treating members of the class similarly, or if witnesses testify about the employer's statements which would constitute bias as understood by a reasonable person. 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 Washington County, Oregon can help you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.