The Federal government as well as the state of Washington have enacted laws which make it illegal to discriminate based on defined protected characteristics. Depending on what type of trait prompted the discriminatory treatment, government employers and even private organizations in Covington 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 are prohibited from using particular traits to evaluate you such as national origin, religion, race, age, familial status, or gender. In order for a claim of employment discrimination to be successful, a Covington, Washington plaintiff must show that his (or her) employer actively intended to treat him differently because of his protected status.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Washington?

This can be shown if the employer has a history of mistreating people of the same status, or if individuals testify regarding the employer's particular statements that a reasonable person would conclude are biased. Additionally, employers may be held liable for firing someone or retaliating against them because they brought a discrimination lawsuit.

Procedures for filing an employment discrimination claim are complicated, because they involve filing the claim with the corresponding agency. An attorney in Covington, Washington can help you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.