Fairfield Racial Discrimination Lawyers

Even in the 21st century, racial discrimination remains a daily fact of life for many Connecticut workers. Not all discrimination is overt. Indeed, many employers practice more subtle forms of discrimination. But as far as federal and state law is concerned, an employer cannot make any employment-related decision by taking a person’s race or color into account.

Our Experienced Fairfield Racial Discrimination Lawyers Know How to Help You

The Fairfield racial discrimination lawyers at Carey & Associates, P.C., represent workers who have reason to believe they have been denied a job, fired, or treated differently in their jobs on account of race, national origin, or color. We can assist you in taking appropriate legal action against an employer who breaks the law. And if successful, we may be able to recover monetary damages on your behalf.

How the Law Defines Racial Discrimination

Employment is normally considered to be at will. This means that either the employer or employee can end the relationship at any time and for any reason or without even giving a reason. However, there are several public policy exceptions to the at-will rule, and one of the most important is the legal prohibitions against employment discrimination.

Both Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Connecticut Human Rights Act forbid racial discrimination in employment. More precisely, the law states an employer cannot discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, and color, among other protected characteristics. Employment discrimination covers a wide range of conduct. Some of the more common forms we deal with in our practice include:

• Adverse Employment Actions: This refers to any act by an employer that negatively affects an employee or job applicant’s employment based on racial considerations. For example, refusing to hire a job applicant because they are black would qualify as illegal adverse employment actions.
• Disparate Treatment: This means the employer treats similarly situated employees differently due to race, such as favoring a white employee for a promotion over a more qualified Hispanic employee. It also covers seemingly race-neutral hiring policies that have the effect of placing one race at a disadvantage over another.
• Segregation: An employer cannot justify racially motivated employment decisions based on so-called business concerns. In other words, an employer cannot refuse to assign an employee to a particular job because a customer or client would prefer to deal with an employee of another race. Such acts are a form of segregation that violates the law.
• Hostile Work Environment: While being a jerk to an employee is not illegal, if there is a pattern of intimidation, bullying, or ridicule targeting an employee based on race, that may qualify as a hostile work environment, which is a form of illegal employment discrimination.

How Do I Address Racial Discrimination by an Employer?

Anytime that you suspect racial discrimination has occurred in your workplace, you should report it internally to human resources. Of course, that is just a first step. Many employers are slow to react to racial discrimination complaints“assuming they bother to act at all. That is why you must be proactive in pursuing your claim.

The most important thing you can do at this stage is to collect as much evidence as possible. This includes saving any email, text message, or other documentation that you believe helps demonstrate that racial discrimination has taken place. You want to create a paper trail, as that can make it much easier to prove your case later to an outside government agency or a court.

Indeed, if your employer fails to remedy an act of racial discrimination to your satisfaction, the next step is usually to file a formal complaint with either the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). These agencies have the legal authority to investigate and take action against an employer that engages in racial discrimination. If the agencies decline to pursue direct action, however, they must notify you of your right to take independent legal action in the courts.

If a racial discrimination case is ultimately proven, the employer can be ordered to pay monetary damages to the victims. Such damages may include lost income including any lost benefits compensation for emotional pain and suffering, legal fees, and in some cases punitive damages. It may also be possible to get your job back if that is what you want. But before you take any action, you should first speak with an experienced Fairfield racial discrimination lawyer. Call Carey & Associates, P.C., at (203) 255-4150 today or contact us online to schedule a consultation so we can sit down and review your case.

Should I hire an employment lawyer?

Should I hire an employment lawyer? Yes, because Carey & Associates PC has worked with thousands of clients just like you. Why not get the benefit of our experiential service to those thousands of clients. Our lawyers are trained to see the real employment law patterns in all types of situations. Contact Carey & Associates, ...

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