Discrimination Attorney
Jacksonville, Florida
Discrimination is demeaning and effects employee morale. Take action today!
Although an employer may terminate the employment of an employee at any time, for any reason, the employer may not discriminate in the process of the termination. Discrimination occurs when an employee, who is in a protected class, is treated differently than others not in the protected class with regard to the terms and conditions of employment. At the Law Office of Rachel A. Compton, in Jacksonville, Florida, I help employees who were the victims of wrongful termination because of discrimination.
You are a member of a protected class if the class is protected under Federal or State law. In Florida, there are two additional protected classes.
Federal Law provides protection for the following classes:
1) Age
2) Sex
3) Race
4) Religion
5) National Origin
6) Disability
In Florida, the law provides for these two additional classes:
1) Marital Status
2) HIV Status
Discrimination happens in many different forms. It is not unusual for a person to fell like there is unfair treatment which results in a demotion or termination, a denial of a promotion or even harassment. If this list is familiar, you may have been the victim of discrimination.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: If your employer has a policy for reporting discrimination, you are required by the law to report the offending conduct to the employer's representative responsibile for receiving complaints. It is a good practice to report the discrimination to the human resources office.
Regardless of whether a policy exists or not, it is the best course of action to report the offending behavior to your supervisor, and the human resource office. This prevents the employer from later taking the position that you do not have a claim because you did not report the offending conduct. The report should be made verbally at once and then followed-up by a written report. The written report should be sent certified mail with a return-reciept requested to the supervisor you made your complaint to, as well as the human resources office.
THINGS TO DO:
1) Keep a diary of all events that occur;
2) Do not keep your diary at work;
3) See a Physician, if you feel you are being effected emotionally or mentally;
4) Be the "model" employee. Do not give your employer a reason to terminate your employment.
REMEMBER: The employer needs to only state a legitimate business reason for its conduct against you. If you come to work late, perform your job below the level required or otherwise become a less productive employee, you will be giving your employer ammunition to use against you.
FILING A CHARGE OF DISCRIMINATION: If you are a victim of discrimination, you are required by law to file a Charge of Discrimination with the appropriate administrative agency at the state or federal level. In Florida, you may contact one of three administrative agencies to file your Charge of discrimination. The Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) is located in Tallahassee. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (JHRC) is located in Jacksonville, Florida. And finally, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) located in Miami, Florida. Please visit the Resources page for web-links to these organizations. If you would like to discuss your potential cliams with an attorney, feel free to contact me today.