Workplace Discrimination Claims Nashville

Discriminating against employees and prospective employees isn’t just unethical — thanks to state and federal laws, it’s often illegal. Anti-discrimination laws extend to all aspects of employment, from the initial recruitment and interviewing processes through compensation and benefits to disciplinary actions and termination. When an employer violates a Tennessean’s rights based on a protected trait or demographic character, that person can file a claim for workplace discrimination.

Types of Workplace Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines different types of discrimination you might encounter in the workplace, including:

• Gender discrimination – You may receive unfair treatment or be assigned different tasks because your employer believes one gender would be better suited to the job than another.
• Racial discrimination – Some people experience favorable or unfavorable treatment by employers due to their race. It’s against the law to deny workers promotions, job assignments, pay, or make hiring decisions based on race or color. 
• National origin – People from foreign countries may discover they are not getting the same opportunities as native U.S. citizens. Others may experience discrimination because they are the children of immigrants.
• Religious discrimination – This form of discrimination can involve forcing you to work on religious holidays, prohibiting you from wearing traditional religious garb, or refusing to make reasonable accommodations for spiritual practices.
• Sexual orientation – Your sexual orientation should not affect whether an employer hires you, promotes you, gives you a raise, or terminates your employment.

Pregnancy, age, disability status, and marital status are other protected classes under U.S. employment laws. 

Nashville Workplace Discrimination Laws

While the EEOC enforces federal anti-discrimination regulations, Tennessee discrimination laws also prohibit discrimination in the workplace, including:

• Tennessee Human Rights Act – This legislation provides similar protections as the EEOC, forbidding discrimination based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, and creed. It applies to businesses with eight or more employees.
• Tennessee Disability Act – This law prohibits discrimination of workers based solely on their physical, mental, or visual disability, except in cases where that disability would prevent them from performing the job in question. As such, it does not require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for their disabilities. People who need accommodation may be protected by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It applies to businesses with eight or more employees.
• TN Code § 50-2-202 – Under this law, employees must be paid the same as other employees performing comparable work regardless of gender. Unlike the other two laws, it applies to all employers regardless of number of employees.

How to File a Workplace Discrimination Claim

Do you suspect you are a victim of workplace discrimination in Nashville? An experienced employment lawyer can help you learn how to file a discrimination complaint against a business. You can start by reporting the discrimination to your company’s Human Resources Department or the business owner and give them an opportunity to correct the problem.

If this is unsuccessful, you can file a complaint with the EEOC in Nashville by calling (800) 251-3589, visiting the office, or going online. You usually have up to 300 days after the alleged incident to file a complaint under federal law, but only 180 days under Tennessee state law. An employment lawyer can guide you through the complaint process and help you file your complaint on time. 

Get Legal Help from a Nashville Workplace Discrimination Lawyer

Do you need help learning how to make a discrimination claim against your employer? Are you nervous about retaliation after you file an EEOC complaint online? You don’t deserve that stress after what you’ve experienced. Contact the Employment and Commerce Law Group today to learn how to protect your rights and demand equal treatment in a free consultation.