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Under federal and state law, employees are protected from experiencing discrimination at work. Discrimination includes treating, considering, or making a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing based on a number of factors. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) protects people from experiencing discrimination based on:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Genetic information
  • Race
  • National origin
  • Pregnancy
  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion
  • Sex

It also protects people from having to experience a lack of equal pay/compensation, harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for any reason at all. Employees are also protected by the Florida Civil Human Rights Act, which is overseen by the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR).

What Discrimination Looks Like

Discriminatory behavior against a particular group could include traditions, policies, ideas, practices, and laws. For example, if a business has a policy of never hiring people over 40, they could be accused of practicing ageism. In firms, more than 40% are more likely to interview a young adult job applicant than an older applicant. Likewise, businesses may decide to push out an older worker in favor of one with potentially fewer health risks or faster working speed.

If you’ve experienced unfair treatment, harassment, denial of a reasonable workplace change, inappropriate questions about or disclosure of your genetic or medical information, or retaliation based on your inclusion into one of the above categories, you can file a discrimination claim against your employer.

How to File a Claim

In order to file a discrimination claim, you can submit paperwork to either the FCHR or the EEOC. The two agencies have a work-sharing agreement, meaning the information you send to one can be sent to the other simultaneously as long as you inform the agencies that this is what you want.

For age discrimination, the Florida anti-discrimination statute covers smaller employers not covered by federal law. If your employer has between 15 and 20 employees, you should file a claim with the FCHR, because federal law only covers workplaces with 20 or more employees in age-discrimination cases and 15 or more employees in other cases.

Statute of Limitations

You only have a certain amount of time to file a claim for discrimination. Under state law, you must file within 1 year of the date you think you were discriminated against. Under federal law, you must file with the EEOC within 300 days of the date you believe you were discriminated against. As soon as you have experienced discrimination, don’t hesitate. Consult with an experienced Florida employment law attorney to find out what you need to file and by when.

Contact Us at (855) 532-8365.

If you need help filing a discrimination claim against your employer, give us a call. LeavenLaw is a highly rated law firm that has been helping Florida residents since the 1970s and has established a legacy of excellence over the decades. No employee should have to feel belittled or discriminated against by their employer. Our skilled attorneys are determined to provide compassionate, personalized, accurate, and affordable representation to get you the compensation you deserve. Let our firm combine our effective and efficient work to properly evaluate your case and offer you advice on the best course of action to take in your case.

Call us at (855) 532-8365. or fill out our online form to schedule a free case consultation today. We look forward to working with you.