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 Kirkland 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 are prohibited from using specific traits to evaluate you such as national origin, religion, race, age, familial status, or gender. To prove employment discrimination in Kirkland, Washington, the plaintiff needs to be able to show that the employer's intent to treat them unfairly was motivated by their protected status.
How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Washington?
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. Further, an employer violates the law if they terminate a person's employment or otherwise retaliate in response to a discrimination lawsuit filed against them.
Pursuing an employment discrimination claim can often be complicated, because they involve filing your claim with specific agencies. A Kirkland, 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.