Specific characteristics are protected against discrimination under both and federal laws in Colonial Heights and other communities of Virginia. In Colonial Heights, government and private organizations may be held liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait the unfair treatment was originally based on.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

Employment discrimination occurs if an employer treats you wrongly because of your membership in a legally protected category. Employers may not base their evaluations of you on specific traits including religion, race, age, gender, national origin, and familial status. Plaintiffs in Colonial Heights, Virginia 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 Virginia?

This may be demonstrated if the employer has treated others of the same status similarly, or when people testify to particular statements made by the employer that would indicate bias when heard by a reasonable person. Additionally, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.

Employment discrimination claims have complicated filing procedures, because they involve pursuing the claim with specific agencies. Colonial Heights, Virginia 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.