HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST?
Your religious beliefs are your concern. The Constitution protects your right to practice as you see fit or to not practice at all. And the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against anyone based on religion.
If you believe you have experienced discrimination for my religious belief in Los Angeles, you don’t have to remain a victim to it. You can seek relief with the help of a workplace lawyer who can provide you with the insight, guidance, and counsel to get justice.
The Most Common Types of Religious Discrimination
There are two basic kinds of religious discrimination:
- Failure to accommodate
- Emphatic bias.
The latter of these involves treating someone differently because of their religious beliefs. An employer cannot refuse to hire you because you are a Catholic, pass you over for promotion for your adherence to Judaism, or deny you an opportunity at a plum job that you are ideally suited for because you are a Muslim. This kind of discrimination is strictly forbidden. And if you have good reasons to believe you have been the victim of it, then you should hire a religious belief discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, build up a case, and file a lawsuit.
Failure to accommodate is the other basic type of religious discrimination. The law requires employers to make reasonable adjustments and accommodations for people to practice their faith. An employer can only refuse accommodation if it places an undue burden on them. An employer can also—indeed, must—forbid proselytization in the workplace. Active religious evangelism in the workplace can be considered harassment.
When You Need to Act
Dealing with religious discrimination can be complex. If you are like most, you prefer not to discuss your religious beliefs in the workplace, and you have reconciled the obligations of your faith with the requirements of your job. Your employer should give you the space to organize meetings and other commitments around your sabbath and holy days. You should also be allowed to adhere to the grooming standards and dress code of your religion. If you encounter a superior who goes out of their way to interfere with these practices, you may have a claim for a Los Angeles workplace lawyer.
If you know the people you work with and believe you can deal with the matter informally, then you should try. The conflict may result from ignorance on the part of the person who refuses to accommodate you. If this is the case, the matter can get sorted out quickly by going to HR or your supervisor. If not, then you will need to act.
Suppose you have experienced discrimination based on your religious belief in Los Angeles, and you refrain from reporting it. In that case, the person is likely to continue the harassment and will probably do the same thing to another person. You should submit your complaint through the grievance process in your organization. Once they have received a formal complaint, your company must act on it. If they do not, then you must further escalate the matter. That will involve hiring an attorney for religious discrimination in LA.
A Word About Non-Believers
The country has seen a significant rise in people who do not follow a particular religion. If you are an atheist or agnostic, your right not to believe in or practice any faith is protected under the Civil Rights Act. You cannot be slighted professionally because of your non-belief.
Nor should you have to put up with harassment and subtle forms of career sabotage in the workplace. If devout Christians run the company you work for and most of the people they employ are of the same faith, you cannot be coerced into participating in religious rituals, ceremonies, or services. And you should not be constantly harangued about religion. This makes for a hostile work environment, which is against the law.
More subtle forms of bias and discrimination are also outlawed. If, for example, one of your superiors invites people of faith to their home but excludes you, this is unfair and illegal. Have you noticed that certain groups are properly mentored or given opportunities to advance themselves, but you’re excluded because of your atheism? This is wrong too. As a non-believer getting mistreated, it would be best to consult with a workplace discrimination lawyer in LA.
When the Company Fails to Stand Up for You
If you have tried to go through the normal grievance channels and the company has taken no action on your complaint, you should take the next step. You should hire an attorney and file a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Doing so is a necessary prerequisite to filing a lawsuit. Your lawyer in Los Angeles can help you fill out the forms online.
By law, the EEOC must investigate your claim. After doing so, the EEOC may try to help you settle the matter or issue a “right to sue” letter, giving you the green light to pursue a suit against your employer.
Once your workplace religious discrimination lawyer has the letter, they can start formal proceedings against the company.
Receiving Justice
If you have been mistreated in the workplace because of your religion or lack thereof, you should hire a lawyer for religious discrimination.
In most instances, the employer will want to avoid a lawsuit or anything else that might go public. After the EEOC has issued its findings, they may be eager to settle matters. The attorney for victims of religious discrimination you hire can help you figure out what exactly you want in the settlement. Some combination of a binding change in policy, payment of your attorney fees, and compensation for mental and emotional stress may be in order.