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Understanding Ethnic Discrimination in the Workplace and How You Can Fight Back Against ItEmployers in California are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on their ethnicity. Employers with at least five workers must comply with the California civil rights statute under FEHA. The five-employee minimum is more stringent than the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which mandates a minimum of 15 workers. To learn more about ethnic discrimination and how an employment law attorney can help you if you have been the victim of it, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a consultation.

Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity

Racial and ethnic discrimination is a crime that involves treating somebody unfairly based on their looks, national origin, or place of birth. The following acts of racial and ethnic discrimination are specifically prohibited by the FEHA:

  • Refusing to employ someone
  • A qualified individual being overlooked for a training program
  • Firing or laying off a worker
  • Paying two similarly qualified employees two different salaries
  • Choosing specific employees to participate in company-sponsored activities

The physical qualities of an individual, such as skin and hair color, as well as facial features, are often described by race. Ethnicity, on the other hand, relates to where a person was born or their lineage.

Understanding ethnicity

Ethnicity, often known as national origin, encompasses characteristics of a certain group of people’s culture, affiliation with a particular group of individuals, belonging to a tribe, being a member of a group that promotes the interests of a certain set of people, participation in a school that promotes a nationality, and belonging to a religious institution that supports a nationality’s interests.

Discrimination laws in California apply to more than only companies. They also force labor unions and labor groups to adhere to the same legal standards as private-sector companies.

Proving discrimination on the basis of ethnicity

Many racial and ethnic discrimination cases boil down to an employee’s word versus an employer’s word. If you are the victim of employment racial or ethnic discrimination, you must collect and arrange evidence, which begins with company-related documents. For example, if you have earned favorable performance assessments for several years but were passed over for a promotion because of your skin color, you may have a solid case of ethnic discrimination on your hands.

Witnesses who corroborate your allegation of racial discrimination in the workplace are another piece of evidence that might help you win your case. The next step is to contact a workplace attorney. You can reach The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation today.