Texas is an at-will employment state. Your employer can hire and fire you at will. However, they cannot discriminate against you on grounds like race, gender, color, nationality, sex, and disability. Workplace discrimination, unfortunately, is not uncommon in Austin. Besides the immediate impact of your employer’s action on your job, the episode can impact you mentally. Talking to an Austin employment discrimination attorney can be a good step at this point. Depending on the circumstances and available evidence, you may have the scope to sue your employer. Here’s more on key aspects worth knowing.
Examples of workplace discrimination
- Unfair treatment because of different grounds. Suppose your employer has fired you from the job or has treated you less favorably because of your race, color, sex, religion, or disability. In that case, it could be a case of clear discrimination.
- Harassment. Any form of harassment at work is not acceptable. If you have been harassed because of any of the grounds listed above, you may have a valid case.
- Retaliation. If you complained against a supervisor or colleague but suffered retaliation in return, you could potentially sue the employer.
The need for an attorney
Filing a lawsuit for workplace discrimination is not as simple. There are standard steps that must be followed. You have to complain to the HR department first. If the company fails to take action, you can consider filing an administrative complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). If the concerned agency fails or declines to take action, or you are unhappy with the outcome, you can approach the court. Expectedly, this won’t be an easy journey. You have to hire an attorney because you need to know the dos and don’ts that matter for justice. Your lawyer is also in charge of the paperwork and investigation, and they will do what it takes to gather evidence of discrimination.
Working with an employment lawyer will help you deal with the circumstances better. If you have a strong discrimination case, your lawyer can do a cost-benefit analysis to determine what you can expect from the case in the long run. Also, you have limited time to take action, so the deadlines must be considered. If you believe that you were subjected to discrimination at work, talk to an attorney without delay. It would help if you had their advice before pursuing the matter further.