Experienced Discrimination Lawyers in Las Vegas Upholding Justice

Discrimination in the workplace is not only wrong; it is illegal. If you’re facing discrimination, contact our experienced Las Vegas discrimination lawyer for a free consultation.

Prejudice is an unfortunate aspect of our society. We certainly take pride in the strides we have made to allow individuals to advance in the workplace based on their individual merits rather than their membership in a specific group. But no matter how hard we try as a society, there are individuals who are denied equal opportunity at work because of the color of their skin, their religious affiliation, where their ancestors are from, and a host of other traits.

Hardworking and well-qualified individuals are denied promotions, terminated from their positions, or face a hostile work environment over something they have no control over or has zero effect on their job performance. Such discrimination-based behavior is wrong and largely illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from continuing to discriminate against coworkers or job applicants.

If this has happened to you, you may want to consider talking with a Las Vegas discrimination lawyer. You may have a variety of rights and remedies available to ensure you receive fair treatment and compensation for any damages you may have endured. You deserve to work in a welcoming environment free of hate, and when this doesn’t happen, experienced legal representation can help.

Types of Workplace Discrimination

Discrimination is not inherently illegal. Discrimination cases are only appropriate when these actions affect members of certain protected classes. Examples of protected classes include:

Age
Disability
Race
National Origin
Sex
Religion
Pregnancy
Genetic information
Gender identity
Sexual orientation

Discrimination on the basis of one or more of these characteristics is prohibited by a variety of federal and state laws — including Nevada’s NRS 613.330, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.

Being a member of a protected class is very important because, without it, discrimination is not illegal. For example, prejudicial acts based on a person’s athletic training interests is perfectly legal. A discrimination claim would very likely be thrown out unless it could be proven other factors were at play.

If you feel you’re facing discrimination at work, don’t hesitate to reach out to Murphy & Murphy Law Offices. We offer a free consultation, so you have nothing to lose.

Can You File a Discrimination Claim?

Imagine you apply for a job and land a job interview. During that interview, you’re asked who you were pulling for in the last Super Bowl. As you give your honest answer, you see your interviewer’s smile changed into a scowl. The next thing you know, they are showing you the door, and you never get the job offer.

You’re confident you were denied the job because of who you rooted for in the last Super Bowl. Is what happened to you wrong? Yes. Does it raise any legal issues for the employer, though? No, because being a fan of a particular sports team does not make you a part of a protected class. Of course, not everything is this cut and dry. How can you be sure if someone violated employment law?

Identifying whether the discrimination you encountered is based on your membership in a protected class is something a Las Vegas discrimination lawyer can help with. They can also help you figure out ways to prove prejudicial treatment — which is often the single most challenging aspect of obtaining relief from workplace discrimination through the legal process.

Many employers are good at making up fake reasons for hiding the real reasons for their discriminatory conduct. Once you have an attorney-client relationship, though, you’ll be better suited to prove discrimination occurred.

Why It’s Important to Report Workplace Discrimination

If you’re the victim of employment discrimination, you need to report it. Reporting discriminatory behavior is very important for several reasons. First, reporting such actions may fix the problem on its own. Maybe that promotion you couldn’t get because of your age or disability is now possible as a result of your complaint to human resources. Or perhaps the racist jokes your coworkers kept making finally come to an end. In some cases, reporting the problem will make it go away.

Second, even if reporting the discrimination changes nothing, it’s an important step for further legal action. In many employment discrimination lawsuits, employers can escape liability if they can show that the employee failed to properly follow office discrimination reporting procedures. The reasoning is that an employer shouldn’t be liable for misbehavior it didn’t know about. There are exceptions to this rule, but victims of workplace discrimination shouldn’t take their chances in court, hoping one of the exceptions will apply.

Third, reporting the discrimination can provide an additional legal remedy for the victim. One of the biggest fears of reporting discriminatory behavior at work is the potential for retaliation. Retaliation occurs when an employee suffers an adverse employment action for exercising a legal right. Adverse employment actions include things such as getting fired, demoted, receiving lower pay, or suffering from disciplinary action. A legal right refers to an activity the law provides for, such as reporting workplace discrimination through a company’s discrimination reporting procedure or to an appropriate government agency.

As long as the victim of discrimination reports it in good faith, he or she is protected from retaliation. Should retaliation occur, it will usually create its own cause of action. Your legal team can argue this even if a court concludes that there was no underlying discrimination in the first place. A discrimination lawyer in Las Vegas can even help in these cases.

What to Do If You Are the Victim of Workplace Discrimination?

The first thing you should do is keep a record of every instance of discrimination you have faced at work. You should keep track of what happened when it happened, and who was involved. Also, keep track of anyone else who can serve as a witness in support of your claim of discrimination. Should you decide to bring a lawsuit or report the discriminatory actions to your designated person at work, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, or the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, your records will be invaluable.

You should also consult with a Las Vegas discrimination lawyer. Discrimination law is complex — as are all the issues involved — with a variety of state, local, and federal laws in play. As a result, there are a number of rules, remedies, and legal hoops you may need to jump through to obtain legal relief. Most attorneys provide these consultations for free to help you understand what your legal rights are and what actions you may need to take.

Are You Looking for a Las Vegas Discrimination Lawyer?

You can file an employment lawsuit on your own, but the complexities involved can make it difficult to secure fair compensation. With an experienced law firm on your side, it becomes easier to fight back and protect your rights. At Murphy & Murphy Law Offices, we provide a free consultation, so you’ll know where you stand before moving forward. There’s no risk or commitment on your part simply to meet and learn more.