Are you protected from discrimination at your job?

While most workers assume that it is illegal for their employer to discriminate on the basis of sex, age, religion, gender, or race, whether you are protected from discrimination is not always clear-cut.  Whether discrimination laws apply to your job is a complex legal analysis, and often requires consulting with an experienced Atlanta employment attorney to determine your rights.

For example, certain discrimination laws only apply if your work place employs more than 15 employees.  Further, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects older employees from discrimination in those work places that employ more than 20 people.  Additional factors my play a role in whether your workplace must adhere to federal anti-discrimination laws.

Additionally, your employment status may affect whether you are protected.  Temporary or part-time workers may not be able to assert discrimination claims against their employers.  Likewise, independent contractors often lack the same protections that cover employees. Roughly 1 in 7 Americans work as free-lancers, independent contractors or in other types of contingent-employment situations.  Often, the worker believes he or she is an employee, as the distinction isn’t always clear-cut.  Whether a independent contractor is really an employee depends more on the nature of the work, and the degree of control the employer/worker maintains over the position.

Understanding your rights, and knowing whether you are protected from employment discrimination, is crucial.

For more information or if you believe you may have experienced work place discrimination, please contact the experienced Atlanta discrimination lawyers at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP for an immediate case evaluation.

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