Employers have a legal obligation to provide their employees with a safe work environment. One of the dangers workers face and should be protected from is discrimination. Unfortunately, discrimination happens all the time, but people don’t always notice.
To ensure your safety, you should be aware of the following forms of discrimination:
Age
In some cases, people may be discriminated against because of their age. This form of discrimination may be a result of the belief that older people struggle to learn or produce the same amount of work as younger people and, as such, may not be hired or face a layoff. As such, people over forty years of age have protected rights against discrimination.
Disability
People with disabilities have been fighting for equal rights for decades. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities are protected from discrimination. Disability discrimination may appear, for example, if someone with disabilities is favored less than someone without disabilities, despite being more qualified for the job.
Sexual orientation
Everyone has a right to decide what their sexual attraction is even if others would disagree. This right is also protected under employment laws. However, this right may be violated if someone is discriminatorily targeted after others find out about their sexual orientation.
Religion
Millions of people follow one or more of the thousands of different religions in the U.S. and many don’t. In some cases, a person’s religious belief or lack thereof may lead them to discriminate against others who don’t follow their beliefs. As a result, they may prohibit the practice of religious actions as a form of discrimination.
There are many other kinds of workplace discrimination, such as pregnancy, skin color and national origin. If you believe you’re being targeted at work, then you may need to know your legal rights.