San Diego Race Discrimination Lawyer
Race discrimination in the workplace is more common than many people believe. We want to believe that race does not play a role in employment decisions. Sadly, our society has not overcome many of its racial issues. These issues seep into our places of employment.
At Ferraro Vega, we understand employers. Our San Diego race discrimination attorneys once represented employers, so we know how they operate. Now we have taken up the fight to protect employees from workplace discrimination.
Learn more about your rights as an employee in California. Contact our law firm in San Diego, CA, for a free consultation.
You can discuss your discrimination case with a San Diego employment discrimination lawyer. Let us help you hold an employer responsible for race discrimination.
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How Our San Diego Employment Lawyers Can Help if You’ve Been the Victim of Workplace Discrimination
Discrimination cases involve many forms of illegal and unlawful acts. They may involve sexual harassment, wrongful terminations, national origin, sexual orientation, and skin color. Every employee deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of any characteristics that set them apart from other employees.
When you hire our legal team in San Diego, California, you can expect us to:
- Aggressively and thoroughly investigate all allegations of workplace discrimination
- Gather evidence to support a claim of employment discrimination
- Analyze your options for filing discrimination complaints with federal and state agencies
- Explore filing a civil lawsuit against your employer seeking damages for discrimination
- Vigorously protect your best interests while seeking the best outcome for your discrimination case
At Ferraro Employment Law, Inc., our San Diego employment attorneys treat all allegations of discrimination seriously. We believe that employers should and must be held accountable when they discriminate against an individual.
Contact our law firm to schedule your free consultation with one of our San Diego employment lawyers. We represent individuals throughout San Diego County and southern California.
What is Race Discrimination at Work?
Racial discrimination at work can take many forms. Generally, race discrimination results in the unfavorable treatment of an employee or job applicant based on the person’s skin color or national origin. Racial discrimination may also be based on another other features associated with a person’s race, such as hair texture or facial features.
Discrimination can take the form of:
- Refusing to hire a person based on race or racial features
- Demoting, firing, or laying off a person because of race
- Discriminating against the person in terms of job assignments, training, pay, promotions, or benefits
- Creating a hostile work environment to force the person to quit
Racial discrimination may also take the form of harassment in the workplace. Harassment can include making racial slurs, derogatory comments, or offensive jokes. It can also include displays of racially offensive images and symbols.
Employers Have a Duty to Stop Racism in the Workplace
Federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from engaging in race discrimination. It is unlawful for employers to base employment opportunities on a person’s race.
Race is a protected class under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The FEHA is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). It is also a protected class under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Employees who are discriminated against based on their race may have several options under the law. They can file federal complaints with the EEOC. They may initiate a complaint through the state DFEH office. Under some circumstances, an employer may also choose to file a civil lawsuit against the employer.
Deciding what action to take to protect your legal rights can be difficult. Our San Diego race discrimination attorneys can help you choose the best strategy for your situation.
Our goal is to obtain justice for you and compensation for your damages. We also want to ensure the employer is held legally liable for their unlawful acts.
What Steps Should You Take to Protect Yourself and Your Legal Rights After Race Discrimination?
The first step is reporting the race discrimination to your employer. Employers generally have a process for reporting discrimination in the workplace. There may be a contact person in the HR department or a hotline that you call to report discrimination at work.
Be prepared to provide details of your race discrimination or harassment. Provide a list of witnesses and other evidence you have regarding racial discrimination. If you are uncomfortable filing a complaint with your employer, consult with our employment law attorneys in San Diego. We can help you file the initial discrimination complaint.
Other steps that you can take to protect your legal rights include:
- Keep a log of all instances of racial discrimination, including racial slurs, jokes, comments, and actions
- Document the discriminatory conduct, such as unequal pay, less desirable working conditions, harassment, being passed over for promotions, etc.
- Keep copies of all written correspondence regarding the discrimination
- Make a list of all witnesses that can testify about the discrimination
- Detail any retaliation you received because you filed a race discrimination complaint
- Document all complaints to your supervisor, manager, or employer about harassment or discrimination
- If you experienced emotional distress or physical harm because of the discrimination, seek medical treatment from a health care professional
Race discrimination hurts all employees. If you observe racial discrimination in the workplace, speak up.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our San Diego Employment Lawyers
Filing a race discrimination case can be frightening. Our San Diego discrimination attorneys understand that you might have concerns.
Contact our office online or call (619) 693-7727 to schedule a free consultation. One of our attorneys will discuss your legal rights related to workplace discrimination. We also explain how our legal team can help you seek justice after being discriminated against because of your race.