Employment Discrimination Law
What is an Oregon discrimination attorney and do I need one?
Are you being treated differently at work? Are the circumstances of your treatment so unusual, shocking, unjust, or severe as to suggest discrimination? Are there noticeably few employees of your race, gender, or other classification at your workplace? Have you noticed that other employees like you seem to be singled out for worse treatment or put in lower ranking positions? Federal and Oregon laws protect you from being discriminated against at work. That means you can’t be fired or demoted, paid less, or otherwise treated differently because you belong to a protected class.
In Oregon, most employer-employee relationships are “at will”. This means that the employer is free to hire, discipline, or fire any employee at any time for any reason—unless that reason is contrary to an agreement, or is unlawful under state, federal or local law, or contrary to public policy.
Question? Read more below or contact an Oregon discrimination attorney here.
Here are few signs that you may be grappling with workplace discrimination:
A lack of variety in your workplace
It is possible that you will discover this just when coming into the workplace. Where there is a shortage of diversity, discrimination is not necessarily present, but it may be an indication. It is possible that the population is just straight, white males of the same age and income class. If you do not fall into that demographic, you may find yourself in a situation where you are discriminated against.
Bias Against Women
Are any of the highest slots reserved for males while women are denied access to them? It may be an indication of gender discrimination.
Promotional Challenges
Bias could fuel decisions to promote individuals who are less eligible than you. If you are being skipped over repeatedly, consider whether the motivation is rooted in prejudice.
How Can You Communicate with Your Co-workers?
It is crucial how people communicate with you. No one wants to be treated unfairly, and one of the most common ways people discriminate is through communication. What matters is not only what they mean, nor how they say it. It is particularly valid if jokes about your ethnicity, sex, sexuality, sexual identity, or age are made.
What Kind of Work Do You Get?
If the workload is shifting in a manner that adversely impacts you, you will be discriminated against. It may be a warning that you have accounts stripped away from you, allowing you to lose money. When you are offered a mountain of work that you cannot really do, it is likely that your employer is preparing to fire you. Any of this is a kind of prejudice.
The majority of these forms of prejudice are illegal under federal and state labor legislation. However, some of them are only covered under state statutes in Oregon, such as bigotry based on sexual identity, marital status, or status as a survivor of domestic abuse. Furthermore, the state of Oregon occasionally extends additional protection against workplace discrimination. Although federal law forbids discrimination against people over the age of 40, Oregon prohibits discrimination against people under 18. Furthermore, federal anti-discrimination regulations generally refer to companies with a certain minimum number of workers (ranging from 4 to 20 based on the law), while Oregon’s state anti-discrimination laws apply to any company with one or more employees.
Both the federal government and the state of Oregon provide department structures in place that assist in the enforcement of federal and state anti-discrimination legislation. The Equal Work Opportunity Commission of the federal government and the Civil Rights Division of the Bureau of Labor and Industries of Oregon also hear and prosecute cases of employment discrimination. It is important to have experienced counsel to guide you on the correct steps when investigating or fighting against a workplace discrimination lawsuit inside these departments – or in court. In a workplace discrimination case, our lawyers have both the expertise and the commitment to support or defend your interests.
Discrimination Lawyers in Portland Oregon
Meyer Employment Law represents employees in discrimination throughout the state. Our attorneys may be able to assist you with employment discrimination claims in Oregon, including the following:
- Race
- Color
- National Origin
- Age
- Gender
- Pregnancy
- Marital status
- Family relationship
- Genetic Information
- Injured Worker (Invoking the Workers’ Compensation System)
- Sexual Orientation
- Gender Identity
- Religion
- Domestic Violence Victims
- Disability
- Whistleblowing
- Opposition to unsafe working conditions
- Equal pay
- Criminal convictions
- Uniformed Services (USERRA)
- Exercising rights under medical leave statutes (OFLA and/or FMLA)
- Exercising rights under military leave statutes (Oregon Military Family Leave Act)
Have you experienced discrimination in your workplace? Do you have questions about discrimination? Allow an Oregon discrimination attorney to help. Contact us at Meyer.