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 Oak Harbor may be held liable under various state and federal laws.
How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?
An employer will be deemed guilty of employment discrimination if they treat an employee unfairly because they belong to a category that is legally protected. Some traits which employers are not allowed to evaluate employees with include: race, age, national origin, religion, familial status, and gender. In order for a claim of employment discrimination to be successful, an Oak Harbor, 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 will be proven if the employer in question has treated others of the same class in a comparable manner. It may also be shown when there is testimony regarding specific employer statements that a reasonable person would define as biased. Furthermore, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.
Pursuing an employment discrimination claim can often be complicated, because they involve filing your claim with particular agencies. An attorney in Oak Harbor, Washington can help you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.