Types of Discrimination in the Workplace

California employees should be able to trust that they will be treated fairly by employers or potential employers. Sadly, this does not always happen. Discrimination in the workplace takes many forms and can be very subtle at times as well. It is important for Californians to understand what may be discriminatory behaviors or actions so as to protect themselves.

As explained by The Balance, job-related discrimination involves some form of unfair treatment of people by employers or even co-workers. The discrimination may take place in the course of hiring, firing or laying off employees but it may also happen during the normal course of employment. An example of discrimination in the hiring process would be an employer actively recruiting people based upon age, race, religion or some other factor that violates the law. Excluding people in the recruitment process based upon such factors may also be discriminatory.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, age, race and religion are just three of many factors that the law outlines as protected and any discrimination based on these factors is illegal. Other factors include gender, country of origin, being pregnant or having a disability.

Discrimination may manifest in different ways as well. For example, equally qualified employees may be paid or otherwise compensated differently due to one of the factors referenced above. A person who has a disability may unfairly be passed over for a promotion. Discrimination may even happen at the hands of people in the same classes such as if an employer over 40 makes a hiring decision about a person over 40 based on that fact alone.