Incidents of workplace discrimination and harassment are all too common for Americans, even in our modern and supposedly enlightened society. There is no excuse for treating employees or prospective employees differently based on factors including race, age, gender, religion, or any other reasons beyond performance and merit. Yet, our Mercer County workplace discrimination attorneys continue to see cases where individuals are discriminated against simply for being themselves. Today, we will be discussing some common forms of discrimination which may occur at the workplace or during the hiring process.

Mercer County, NJ Workplace Discrimination Attorneys Discuss Common Types of Discrimination

The word discrimination is defined as “treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit”. This form of unfair and unequal treatment of employees or coworkers is illegal pursuant to both federal and New Jersey state laws. A qualified Mercer County workplace discrimination attorney should be able to assist you if you are experiencing any of the following forms of workplace discrimination:

Age – while it may not be as obvious as some other forms of discrimination, age discrimination is extremely common. Younger employees performing the same tasks are often not compensated as well as their older counterparts. On the flip side of the coin, older employees are sometimes viewed less favorably than young employees for various reasons.

Religious – religious discrimination in the workplace can manifest in several ways. First of all, you are never required to disclose your religious beliefs. If you do choose to disclose this personal information and require some form of accommodation (such as wearing a hijab when hats are forbidden), your employer is legally required to oblige so long as your request is legitimate and the accommodation does not create a hardship for the employer.

Racial – at no point may you be treated differently due to your ethnicity, heritage, race, country of birth, or any other similar consideration.

Gender – similar to racial discrimination, this is relatively straightforward. Men, women, and those who are gender fluid or self-identify as a different gender must all be treated equally.

Others including pregnancy, those with disabilities, individuals who have previous filed workers’ compensation or other claims against the employer, parenthood, nation of birth, or based on the employee’s relationship with another person

Lawrence Employment Discrimination Lawyers: Discrimination During the Hiring Process and Beyond

In some cases, discrimination begins during the hiring process. An experienced Lawrence employment discrimination lawyer may be able to help if you have been the victim of any of the below discriminatory practices:

  • Advertising a job opportunity with unfair stipulations or state preferences based on discriminatory reasons. This form of discrimination is often subtle, including advertising that young candidates or candidates with certain physical attributes are preferred
  • Offering similarly qualified individuals different compensation packages for the same job. This is not just during the hiring process, but may take place at any point during employment as well. As an example, Hispanic women who work full-time in New Jersey make a paltry 43 cents to every dollar earned by their white, male counterparts
  • Excluding certain groups of potential hirees from participating in the hiring process
  • Any of the above types of discrimination when it comes time to determine promotions, bonuses, lay-offs, benefits packages, and more

Contact our Hamilton Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Attorneys Today

The workplace discrimination and harassment attorneys of Cohen & Riechelson have been assisting clients who have been the victims of workplace discrimination since opening our doors in 1972. We believe strongly in advocating for employee rights for clients across our local Mercer County communities including Trenton, Princeton, Lawrence, Hamilton, New Brunswick, and all of Central New Jersey. If you or a loved one has been experiencing issues of workplace discrimination or workplace harassment, please contact us online or through our Hamilton offices by calling (609) 528-2596 today for a free and confidential consultation. A member of our qualified and experienced legal team will be standing by to discuss your workplace discrimination and to discuss how we may be able to best serve your needs.