People in California may be familiar with workplace discrimination when it is directed toward people because of their race, religion or gender. However, there are other types of workplace discrimination that people may be less familiar with. In some cases, they may not even realize that they are victims.
One example is discrimination based on caregiver status. This could include parents who have a newborn or people who are caring for other family members. There is no federal minimum paid leave law in the United States, and people may struggle to juggle work duties with their obligation to loved ones. They might also face resentment at work when they have to leave early to take care of others. Some employees may suffer from pregnancy discrimination. Employers may dismiss employees who become pregnant despite the fact that this is illegal. While it is common in the financial industry, it affects women across all jobs and socioeconomic classes.
Age discrimination is another problem. Older people are staying in the workforce longer, sometimes because of financial necessity, and the 65-and-older group is the fastest-growing in the workplace. However, one survey found that two-thirds of workers who were at least 45 years old said they had seen or experienced workplace discrimination based on age.
People who believe they are facing discrimination at work may want to discuss the situation with an attorney. For example, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects people who are 40 and over but not younger people. Some people may face discrimination after asking for time off under the Family Medical and Leave Act to care for a family member. In some situations, an employer may try to claim that firing a worker, demoting them or denying them a promotion is based on performance, so people may want to document instances of discrimination.