New Jersey Racial and Religious Discrimination Attorneys

You Have Rights, Make Sure They Are Protected. Also Serving Philadelphia.

Have you experienced repetitive negative comments at work about your race or religion? Are important work events always scheduled during times that conflict with your religious practice? Do you believe you’ve been denied promotions, pay raises, or employment due to your race or religious beliefs? Any of the above could mean you are facing racial or religious discrimination in the workplace.

Under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), you are protected from discrimination practices based on nationality, race, and skin color. You also cannot be discriminated against for your religious beliefs, and employers are expected to make reasonable accommodations for your beliefs, unless it creates an undue hardship for them.

If you think you may be facing racial or religious discrimination in the workplace, then you may want to talk to a seasoned lawyer who can listen to your case and provide legal advice. The well-respected legal team at The Law Firm of Morgan Rooks, P.C. can meet with you at an initial consultation and let you know what your legal options are.

Common Types of Workplace Racial Discrimination

Even though our country has made strides toward eliminating racial discrimination and stereotypes, the reality is that it still exists and happens every day. It is unacceptable in any setting, but at your workplace, you should expect to be treated equally no matter your race, nationality, or skin color. You might experience racial discrimination as a direct result of bias, prejudice, or stereotyping, but it can also be much more subtle than that.

Common types of workplace racial discrimination include, but are not limited to:

• Refusing to hire someone because of skin color, race, or nationality
• Use of racial epitaphs or slurs
• Not mentoring an employee based on race
• Looking someone over for a promotion due to skin color
• Trying to blame someone for a workplace error because of their race
• Spreading falsehoods about someone because of their nationality or race
• Paying someone in an equal position less than someone else because of their skin color
• Denying a new position to someone because of race
• Treating someone noticeably different due to their skin color or nationality
• Stopping an employee from working with clients because of skin color

An attorney well-versed in workplace racial discrimination can review your specific circumstances with you to help you determine if you may have a legal case and what your next steps should be.

How Employers May Discriminate Based on Religion

Religious discrimination may manifest itself in similar ways to racial discrimination. For example, if an employer passes you over for a promotion, and you know it is because of your religious beliefs, that is discrimination. They may not allow you to see clients because of how your beliefs require you to dress, such as a turban, hijab, yarmulke, or burqa.

Under the first amendment to the United States Constitution, you are entitled to your religious freedom. An employer is required by law to reasonably accommodate your religious beliefs and practices, and they should not subject employees to segregation based on their religion.

What to Do If You Find Yourself in a Hostile Work Environment

As stated, Title VII and NJLAD are put in place to protect you from a hostile work environment. Not all teasing or offensive conduct signifies a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment is one where you have been subjected to treatment based on race or religion that was so severe, it creates a hostile, abusive, or intimidating work environment. The proper legal standard for determining a hostile work environment is if the conduct you face is “severe or pervasive,” which can include even one single, severely offensive slur against your race or religion.

If you do end up finding yourself in a hostile work environment, then your employer may be liable for the condition or for failing to correct it, depending on who was participating in the discrimination against you. Employers should have a policy regarding racial harassment and religious discrimination, and if they do not, that can be considered negligent and reckless. That policy should outline a procedure for investigating and providing remediation in the instances when a supervisor is involved.

If the conduct happens with a non-supervisory employee, then your employer could face liability only if they knew about the discrimination and did not make an attempt to correct the action.

Once you have notified your employer of the discriminatory treatment against you, if they fail to either fix the issue or if you find yourself a victim of retaliation, then you should consider contacting an employment law attorney at The Law Firm of Morgan Rooks, P.C. to talk about the behavior you have faced and how they can help you with your case.

Don’t hesitate to call us at (856) 746-6332.