Have you been thinking about filing a lawsuit against your employer? Do you notice something isn’t right about the workplace and you feel that discrimination or retaliation may be happening? If so, there are several valid reasons why you may choose to do so. Anytime an employee’s workplace rights have been violated is a time to come forward and learn more about your options on filing a lawsuit. Employees are protected by law from discrimination, retaliation, and other unlawful adverse treatment. Here are some of the most common reasons why employees may decide to sue their employer:
Inappropriate Interview Questions
Every applicant should be treated equally as others during the interview process. They must be evaluated based on the skills they offer and the experience they have, not other irrelevant factors or characteristics. Sadly, illegal questions are still fairly common during interviews. In particular, women may be asked if they currently have children, or plan to have them in the future. Those with disabilities may be asked questions about what their disability entails, which is an invasive question that should not be inquired about. Such situations like these have a discriminatory basis. An applicant who suspects they were not offered a job due to their gender, disability, or other protected classes may have grounds for a lawsuit.
Wrongful Termination
Separating from employment can happen anytime, but wrongful termination is another issue entirely. The reasons for why an employee is let go must be valid and not violate state or federal employment laws. Illegal termination may entail factors related to discrimination, delayed investigation, retaliation after submitting complaint, unjust poor performance reviews that are then used to legitimize firing, and more. As an employment litigation lawyer at Eric Siegel Law explains, wrongful termination is a prevalent reason why people sue an employer.
Employment Discrimination
To bring a lawsuit against your employer for discrimination, you have to prove a few elements applied to the situation. Firstly, you must be categorized under a legally protected class. Secondly, you must have suffered from an adverse employment action. And thirdly, this negative action must have been based on your protected characteristic. Examples of protected characteristics that cannot be discriminated against in the workplace include race, religion, color, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, genetic information, and disability.
As someone who suspects that they were the victim of employment discrimination, it may be time to speak up and talk with a legal team experienced in handling cases like these. And while it may feel overwhelming to take that next step, if you do not protect yourself and hold the offending company responsible, it is unlikely that anyone else will. Your lawyer will be on your side the entire way through, and can guide you as your lawsuit is filed and a conclusion is reached.
