Our Employment Discrimination Attorneys Los Angeles Are Ready to Help
If you are the victim of discrimination or harassment while on the job, you may think you have no choice but to put up with this unnecessary, stressful, and illegal behavior directed at you by others. However, that is not the case. Whether you are being discriminated against because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or even due to pregnancy, the fact is you have many state and federal laws on your side.
While you should initially always raise any concerns with your direct supervisor, manager, or human resources representative, this may not solve the problem. Should you need to pursue this matter further, you will likely need to file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, commonly referred to as the EEOC. To make sure you follow proper procedures and get your situation resolved satisfactorily, always rely on the expertise of a Los Angeles worker rights lawyer from Mann Elias.
Discrimination at Work
Since discrimination in the workplace can take many forms and be directed at you due to various factors, it will be crucial that you work closely with a Los Angeles workplace discrimination lawyer from Mann Elias from the outset. To do so, you will need to meet with your lawyer to discuss your situation in-depth and provide as much evidence as possible about your claims. That can include emails, text messages, cartoons, photos, or other related items considered offensive. In addition, if you have statements from coworkers or others backing up your claims, bring these with you as well.
Filing Your Charges
Since the EEOC has a complaint procedure in place that is very well-defined and contains numerous deadlines, you will need to rely on the advice of employment discrimination attorneys at Mann Elias to make sure you do everything correctly. As for where you can file your complaint, it’s usually done at a local, state, or regional office. In most cases, it is recommended you file your complaint at an office in the closest proximity to your employer.
Deadlines for Filing
Once you decide to pursue an EEOC charge of discrimination against your employer, there will be numerous deadlines for filing that must be met at various stages along the way. Should you miss these deadlines, you will likely miss out on your chance to file charges against your employer. As for these deadlines, they usually vary depending on whether or not your state has its equal employment opportunity laws. If it does, you will have 300 days from the date of the discrimination to file your charges. However, if your state has no laws in place, the deadline will be only 180 days. Since this is a large difference in the time, you will have to file your complaint immediately.
Always Organize Your Evidence
As stated earlier, it will be crucial you have evidence to support your discrimination claims. Yet, it will also be important that you carefully organize any evidence when presenting it to the EEOC. For example, maintain a file of your current and previous performance reviews and any disciplinary notices you may have received. Also, prepare a very detailed log of the dates, places, events, and people who may have witnessed the discrimination. Having as many details as possible makes you stand a better chance of having investigators taking your claims seriously. However, before presenting any evidence, have it carefully reviewed by an employment attorney in Los Angeles from Mann & Elias.
EEOC Interview and Evaluation
Once you have filed your complaint an agency investigator will interview you and evaluate your charges to determine if you have a valid case to pursue. While the EEOC has 180 days to act upon your complaint, office caseloads are sometimes overwhelming. As a result, it can sometimes be as long as three years before the agency starts evaluating a complaint. Upon interviewing you, the investigator will give you their opinion regarding whether or not you have a valid complaint. Yet even if the EEOC does not come down on your side initially, you may still pursue a workplace discrimination lawsuit by hiring an LA workplace discrimination lawyer.
Dealing with the EEOC
Since the EEOC is a federal agency, bureaucracy often gets in the way of complaints making their way along promptly. Therefore, you should always be very proactive and vigilant in ensuring your complaint is being handled as it should. If you sit back and assume everything is being done correctly, chances are it is not. Therefore, hire Los Angeles minority discrimination attorneys employees to rely on and let them handle all communications.
Filing Your Lawsuit
When you decide to file your Title VII lawsuit after having your complaint assessed by the EEOC, remember that you will only have 90 days to do so once you receive your right-to-sue letter. While the EEOC could file a lawsuit on your behalf, don’t count on this occurring. In reality, the agency only takes on about one percent of cases presented to court each year. Because of this, it is best to immediately hire an attorney for experiencing discrimination at work to handle your lawsuit and ensure you get the results you seek.
Since discrimination in any form is illegal in the workplace, do not sit back and allow your employer to get by with illegal behavior day after day. Instead, contact a Los Angeles workplace attorney at Mann & Elias to schedule a consultation and discuss the legal options about your situation.