Although it seems as if discrimination in the workplace must surely be a thing of the past (think Mad Men), employment discrimination is real and shouldn’t be dismissed or ignored. If you are an employer, it’s imperative that you remain conscious of and committed to treating your employees and prospective employees both fairly and equitably. As an employee, you need to be aware that it’s your right to be treated fairly in the workplace – without regard to a variety of personal identifiers, including race, gender, and religion.
Changes for 2017
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has created an updated Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) that’s currently going into effect. In essence, this SEP is an outline of where the EEOC plans to focus its attention and resources in the upcoming years – while also remaining committed to its ongoing strategies for diminishing employment discrimination.
The EEOC has highlighted six specific areas that it will focus on as priorities beginning in 2017:
- Doing away with barriers to recruitment and hiring, including background checks that are racially focused, inquiries into age through date-of-birth queries, and medical questions that are intended to reveal disabilities;
- Protecting under-served communities that are vulnerable to employment discrimination;
- Taking on new issues as they emerge and develop;
- Redoubling efforts to monitor for equitable pay;
- Ensuring equal access to legal guidance; and
- Creating and implementing holistic prevention programs that help to reduce systematic harassment.
These priorities are important to employers and employees alike. As employees, you need to be aware of your rights but you also need to be aware of how you are being treated in relation to those rights. As employers, you need to be aware of the EEOC’s developing priorities and of how you can continue to cultivate a positive business culture in which your employees can thrive.
Signs of Employment Discrimination
Workplace discrimination can be very subtle (the perpetrator may not even be aware of the discrimination) and is difficult to prove. There are distinct signs, however, that can be indicative of employment discrimination:
- Lack of employee diversity;
- Roles that are apportioned according to gender stereotypes;
- Lack of equal promotion opportunities;
- Employee reviews that do not accurately reflect the employee’s skills; and
- The practice of alienating (either professionally or socially) certain employees.
Discrimination in the workplace can be difficult to pinpoint and even more difficult to prove, but its effects can also be truly damaging. If you think you might be a victim of workplace discrimination or if you’ve witnessed this kind of discrimination at your place of employment, do not look away; help is available.
Call 973-278-1124 to Schedule a Free Employment Discrimination Consultation Today
Discriminating against employees – based on any number of personal identifiers – is not only harmful and ugly but is also against the law and should not be tolerated. If you’ve suffered from discriminatory treatment on the job, do not hesitate to contact Salomon & Aquino. We’ve been in the business of helping people with employee discrimination claims for decades, and we can help you. Give us a call at 973-278-1124 today.