Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees based on their religion and religious beliefs. Despite that, it is not uncommon for many employees in Los Angeles to experience this type of discrimination in the workplace. Since, for many people, their religious identity is an essential part of who they are, the religious harassment they encounter in their workplace can be extremely demoralizing. It can make them feel unsafe, threatened, and mentally distressed and negatively affect their work productivity.
By hiring a lawyer for religious discrimination LA based employees can appropriate legal action against their employers to end workplace discrimination.
What are the causes of religious discrimination in the workplace?
There can be various causes of religious discrimination in the workplace, such as:
• Personal dislike of specific religions.
• Personal dislike of specific people may extend to disliking their religions.
• Ignorance of religious beliefs and practices.
• Exposure to anti-religious propaganda in the mainstream media.
• Bullying attitude that seeks to harass those perceived as a weak minority.
What are the consequences of religious discrimination in the workplace?
There can be different consequences of religious discrimination in the workplace for the victims and the perpetrators.
Consequences of religious discrimination for the victims
The consequences of religious discrimination in the workplace can be devastating for most victims. It creates a hostile work environment where they cannot function with any degree of normalcy. They may feel threatened, intimidated, isolated, and unsafe. It can affect their focus, and their work performance may go down. They may feel compelled to resign from the job and look for another one where they do not have to cope with such daily stress.
However, if they decide not to put up with the offensive conduct and use the existing employment laws to protect themselves, the consequences can be more promising. They will get legal assistance in ending the discrimination and can continue to work without facing further issues.
Consequences of religious discrimination for the perpetrators
The consequences of religious discrimination for the perpetrators depend on the actions of the victims and the employers. If the victims remain silent and the employers do not step in, the perpetrators may think there are no consequences to fear and could escalate their discriminatory behaviors. It can pave the way for a very toxic work environment for both the victim and the bystanders, and it may eventually affect the company’s business.
If the victims, the bystanders, and the employers take immediate action against the perpetrators, the discrimination could stop. If it still continues, the perpetrators can get demoted, transferred, or fired from their work positions. In extreme cases, they may face fines or jail time.
What are your legal options in dealing with religious discrimination?
If you are experiencing religious discrimination, it is advisable to do the following:
• Maintain an accurate record of who discriminated against you, what they said, when they said it, where they said it, and who witnessed it.
• If possible, make an audio or video recording of the discriminatory behavior.
• Gather relevant evidence of the discrimination, such as offensive notes, email, text messages, voice messages, images, photographs, and videos.
• Find out about your company’s policy on religious discrimination and the action they can take to stop it.
• Confront the perpetrator in front of witnesses and ask him or her to stop harassing you.
• Inform your manager about the religious discrimination and have them speak to the perpetrator.
• File a formal complaint of religious discrimination with your company’s HR department.
Your employer is legally obliged to investigate the matter, check the evidence, and take appropriate action against the perpetrator. If they fail to do so or are unable to stop the harassment, you can do the following:
• File a claim for religious discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
• Search online for “lawyer for religious discrimination LA” and get legal representation.
• File a religious discrimination lawsuit against your employer, take the matter to trial in court and obtain justice.
Depending on your evidence and how strong your case is, you may win compensation from your employer, plus attorney fees and other legal expenses.