The Federal government as well as the state of Washington have enacted laws which make it illegal to discriminate based on specified protected characteristics. Depending on what type of trait prompted the discriminatory treatment, government employers and even private organizations in Anacortes can be held liable under various state and federal laws.

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. 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 Anacortes, Washington.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Washington?

This will be proven if the employer in question has treated others of the same class in a similar manner. It may also be shown when there is testimony regarding specific employer statements that a reasonable person would define as biased. Moreover, an employer who fires someone or otherwise retaliates because of a discrimination lawsuit is in clear violation of the law.

Pursuing an employment discrimination claim can often be complicated, because they involve filing your claim with specific agencies. An Anacortes, Washington lawyer can help you file in a timely manner, and while your case is pending, they can assist you in pursuing any available remedies.