Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyer
Employment discrimination creates a negative work environment, which can affect an employer’s business and the employees working there. An applicant for a position may also file a claim for discrimination if he or she believes the prospective employer did not offer the job for reasons not allowed by law. While employers have the right to select and retain the best people to fill job openings, they cannot fire or decide not to hire a person based solely upon a characteristic protected under the law. Contact our experienced Florida employment discrimination lawyers today.
The Florida Commission on Human Relations was created to uphold state laws offering protection from discrimination in both housing and employment. According to the Commission’s 2009-2010 Annual Report, over 74 percent of the cases investigated were for discrimination in employment. Half of the discrimination cases filed involved retaliation or discrimination related to race.
State and Federal Law on Workplace Discrimination
Florida law makes it illegal to discriminate against an employee in hiring or on the job for any of the following:
- Race
- Sex
- Disability
- Age
- Nationality
- Religion
- Color
- Marital status
- Pregnancy
- Gender
- Sexual Orientation and Identity
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created in 1964 to protect employees from discriminatory practices and offers similar protections. Both Florida law and federal law also offer protection against retaliation to employees who file a discrimination complaint against their employer. Contact our Florida employment discrimination lawyers for more information.
Compensation Options
The law offers a number of options for compensating employees who file a complaint for discrimination in their employment. The employee may have his or her position reinstated or be hired into a position if he or she was denied employment. Back pay for wages, overtime, sick leave and vacation may be owed. Employees may also be eligible for damages to compensate for other harm suffered, such as humiliation or embarrassment. The prevailing party in a discrimination suit may also be eligible to have court and lawyers’ fees paid by the other party.
Due to the complexity involved in such cases, Florida discrimination lawyers can provide advice and representation to help employers and employees resolve these very serious employment issues. They can offer employees information on discrimination laws and requirements and provide advice to employers on proper labor and employment law practices to help prevent discrimination in the workplace.
