Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Protected Attributes

Discrimination in the Federal Workplace Protected Attributes

Employment discrimination lawyers believe that every person has the right to be free from harassment, discrimination, bullying, and other negative mistreatement in the work environment.

Legally, discrimination is when someone is treated adversely because of their age, gender, race, reglion, or other attributes. When someone’s right to be treated with fairness is violated, they can pursue legal action against the offending individual or company. As an employment discrimination lawyer in Washington D.C. from a firm like Eric Siegel Law can explain, being discriminated against can severely damage a person’s wellness, impacting job security and work performance.

The right discrimination lawyer for your case should be experienced in handling the nuances pertaining to those who have federal jobs. They can give you information and representation you need to have the discriminatory situation corrected with a sense of justice and compensation. 

About Protected Attributes

If you aren’t sure whether what happened to you is in fact discrimination, then don’t hesitate to just give a discrimination lawyer a call. An attorney can help you assess the situation and decide whether taking action is necessary. Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably compared to others, due to what is called “protected attributes”. It is unlawful for someone to be treated negatively due to their:

  • Age
  • Race/color/nationality
  • Religion
  • Sex (including pregnancy)
  • Sexual orientation or gender identity
  • Disability (physical, mental, or emotional)
  • Trade union activity
  • Religion
  • Political preference
  • Marital status
  • Family

Real Life Discrimination Situations

When people think about discrimination, they may understand the concept but have trouble imaging what it would look like in a real life scenario. Many federal workers may not realize when a joke or off-handed comment that was supposed to be innocent may actually be deemed a discriminatory statement by law. Unfortunately, employers who aren’t careful may find themselves on the receiving end of a discrimination lawsuit, especially if they enable such joking and teasing about a person’s protected attributes to continue without reprimand. Real life instances that may be cause for legal action due to discrimination of protected attributes include:

  • Being refused a job, raise, or promotion
  • Being denied the opportunity for training opportunities, classes, or other means of skill growth
  • Being the subject of teasing, taunts, or abuse
  • Not receiving equal pay as someone who is doing the same job with equivalent experience/qualifications
  • Being assigned tasks that are impossible to complete
  • Having information intentionally withheld, that is needed to do your job
  • Having number of shifts or hours cut back

If any of this information sounds like something you are currently going through, then it is recommended that you obtain the help of an attorney as soon as possible. When it comes to federal employee discrimination lawsuits, swift action must be taken. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner they can begin the process of protecting you from further discrimination, while fighting for financial compensation. All you have to do is find what lawyer would be best for your situation, and call now.