No one should be subject to unlawful discrimination. To combat discrimination against employees, California has enacted some of the strongest anti-discrimination laws in the country. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants based on race, color, national and/or ancestry.
If you believe an employer has discriminated against you because of your race, national origin, color or ancestry, we encourage you call us to learn how a racial discrimination attorney can help. You may be entitled to compensation. We will evaluate your claims, explain the discrimination laws and your legal options, and propose a strategy to obtain the justice you deserve.
We handle all discrimination cases on a contingency basis. That means you pay nothing until we recover money for you. Contact Custis Law, P.C. now online or at (213) 863-4276 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
Recognizing Race Discrimination in the Workplace
Racial discrimination occurs when an employer takes an adverse employment action against an employee or job applicant because of that individual’s race. Common examples include:
- You apply for a job and are turned down. The employer refuses to explain why but you notice that the employer has only hired applicants who belong to the same racial group as the employer.
- Your employer announces layoffs for the company to begin next week. Only employees, or the vast majority of employees, laid off were of a certain racial group.
- You receive less compensation than other employees receive based solely on your race rather than your job performance, education, skills and training.
- You were repeatedly turned down for promotions that were given to less qualified employees of a different race.
If you’ve experienced any of these types of discrimination or some other form of discrimination, we can help. Contact us online or at (213) 863-4276 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
What You Can Do Now About Race Discrimination
If you believe you may have a claim for racial discrimination, you can take a number of steps to protect yourself and preserve your legal rights.
1
Journal
Keep a journal of the discriminatory acts and harassment you’ve experienced because of your race, including dates, places, times, names of the persons involved and names of witnesses. Keep this journal at home or in a safe place, and not at work.
2
Report It in Writing
Many employers have race discrimination policies in their employee handbook. If your employer does, follow the procedure in the handbook for reporting racial discrimination and harassment. If your employer does not, make a written report to your supervisor or someone in human resources. This report does not need to be long or formal. An email will work fine.
3
Keep Records
Keep copies of emails and other documents that you have sent or received from your employer regarding your complaint. Keep copies of emails and other documents, too, that you have received that you suspect are discriminatory or harassing. If your employer has an employee handbook, obtain a copy. Also, keep copies of positive performance reviews and letters. Keep these records at home or in a safe place, and not at work.
4
Don’t Quit
No one wants to experience racial discrimination at work. We understand that. But employees who quit before reporting race discrimination will have a more difficult time winning a lawsuit. If you’re experiencing a stressful workplace, talk to an experienced employment attorney about how to preserve your legal claims.
5
Take Care of Yourself
Seek professional counseling or treatment if you are experiencing emotional distress, anxiety, depression or other psychological symptoms because of racial discrimination.
6
Contact an Employment Attorney
Contact a Los Angeles employment lawyer at Custis Law, P.C. online or at (213) 863-4276 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
The Legal Landscape: The California And Federal Discrimination Laws
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin and religion. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Before filing a Title VII lawsuit in court, a plaintiff is required to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces Title VII. We will help you file that complaint, if necessary.
42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 (Section 1981)
Section 1981 is a federal law that originally was enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Section 1981 prohibits intentional workplace discrimination and harassment on the basis of race. Section 1981 applies to all employers. Unlike Title VII and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, a person can file a Section 1981 lawsuit up to four years after an adverse employment action.
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
FEHA prohibits employment discrimination based on numerous protected characteristics, including race, color, national origin and ancestry. FEHA’s anti-discrimination prohibitions apply to employers with five or more employees. Before filing a FEHA lawsuit in court, a plaintiff is required to file a complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which enforces FEHA. We will help you file that complaint.
California’s FEHA prohibits workplace discrimination at every stage of employment including in:
- Advertisements for jobs
- Applications, screening, and interviews
- Hiring, transferring, promoting, terminating, or demoting employees
- Working conditions, including compensation
- Participation in a training or apprenticeship program, employee organization or union
California’s FEHA generally provides greater protections to California employees than Title VII. For example, FEHA applies to employers with 5 or more employees, but the Title VII only applies to employers with 15 or more employees. FEHA also enables plaintiffs to recover unlimited amounts of compensatory and punitive damages, but Title VII limits the amount of damages plaintiffs can recover.
Given that California’s FEHA offers more protection and the possibility of a larger award of damages, Los Angeles discrimination lawyers generally prefer to assert claims under California law.
Let a Los Angeles Race Discrimination Attorney Fight for You
If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin or ancestry, contact us online or at (213) 863-4276 to schedule an initial, free consultation. We will review your case, explain California’s discrimination laws and your options, and propose a strategy for protecting your civil rights.
Custis Law, P.C. handles all discrimination cases on a contingency basis. That means we don’t get paid unless and until we obtain a settlement or verdict for you.
Contact Custis Law, P.C.
If you would like to schedule a free, no-risk consultation with Custis Law, P.C., call (213) 863-4276 or submit a request through our online form. If we cannot answer you inquiry immediately, we will be in touch within 24 hours.