Disability Discrimination in the Workplace
Under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) and the Equality Act 2010, employers are legally prohibited from discriminating against employees or applicants based on their disabilities. In fact, federal law requires that reasonable accommodations be made available to them.
Even so, it’s unfortunately common for disabled employees to face harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Discrimination can be subtle, so it’s important to learn how to recognize the signs of disability discrimination.
Harassment Based on Disabilities
Workplace harassment can take many insidious forms and is intended to make a disabled employee feel humiliated and offended. Failing to protect a disabled employee can be just as illegal as direct harassment. By law, disabled employees are legally protected from harassment by co-workers, employers, and customers. It’s an employer’s responsibility to make sure their business doesn’t turn into a hostile working environment.
Harassment can include, but is not limited to:
- Direct bullying
- Intimidation tactics
- Offensive comments and jokes
- Refusing to provide reasonable accommodations
- Treating a disabled employee differently than other employees
To file a claim based on harassment, negative behaviors must occur frequently.
Being Overlooked
Your disability doesn’t exclude you from the employment rights and opportunities available to all employees. Under federal law, an employer can’t hire, promote, or determine raises based on an employee’s disability. If an employer fails to make reasonable accommodations during your interview or term of employment, you may have a discrimination case.
A disability also doesn’t stop an employee from wanting to be challenged or promoted. An employer should foster ambitious work ethics and teach their employees new duties and responsibilities. If your company refuses to give you a promotion or new responsibilities based on your disability, contact Shellist Lazarz Slobin.
Unfair Pay and Layoffs
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for a company to try underhanded tactics against disabled employees in their workforce. For example, a company may lay off disabled employees, pressure them to retire, or refuse to offer them raises and benefit opportunities. Another tactic is to eliminate their positions or reassign them to dissatisfying job duties. If you notice this happening at your company, seek legal representation immediately.
What Can You Do?
Don’t hesitate to defend your right to fair treatment and equal employment opportunities. Contact Shellist Lazarz Slobin if you have experienced disability discrimination in your workplace. Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined legal experience and have successfully represented many disability discrimination cases in Texas.
Contact our Houston disability lawyers at (713) 352-3433 to schedule a consultation.