If You Are a Victim of Employment Discrimination
Employment Discrimination
I am not revealing any great secret by stating that our country is in the middle of tremendously difficult economic times. The smallest businesses to the largest corporations are forced to lay off employees or close their doors altogether. It is likely that every person who is reading this article knows someone who has lost his job, or maybe even is facing this terrifying reality personally. In most instances, I am certain that the employers are taking every step possible before affecting their workforce and are careful in their decisions when employee cuts have to be made.
However, there are some unfortunate instances in which bosses make personnel choices that are unfairly based on prejudice, illegal cost-cutting efforts, or pure retaliation. If you believe that you have been a victim of discrimination at your work, or have even been wrongly terminated from your position, it is important that you contact an employment law attorney immediately.
You need to know that the laws of Texas are not set up in a way that favors employees. Our state operates under the concept of “at will” employment, which essentially means that you work at the pleasure of your boss and he or she can fire you at any time. There does not need to be any reason given for your termination. However, you are protected by both Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , which spell out certain instances that constitute employee discrimination. According to the law, you cannot face adverse effects to your employment status for any of the following reasons:
- Your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or age (with certain exceptions)
- Disabilities that are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Requesting unpaid leave as warranted by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Reporting acts of fraud or environmental or safety violations at your place of employment
- Your contract explicitly states only certain reasons that you can be fired
- Refusing to commit an illegal act on behalf of your employer
