Leesburg Workplace Discrimination Attorney
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees that your employer is not allowed to discriminate against you based on your skin color, race, religion, sex, or national origin. This law ensures that every individual is given a fair and equal opportunity in the workplace to advance as far as their skills will allow them to, and not just so far as their employer will let them. While this law takes a clear stand, some employers do not and continue to discriminate on the basis of protected classifications. Some employers, maliciously or ignorantly violate these laws by allowing sexual harassment in the workplace, not hiring a woman because she is pregnant, firing an individual because of their skin color, or disallowing a person of faith to practice their chosen religion. Thankfully, both federal and state laws, such as the Virginia Human Rights Act provide for the protection of all employees against workplace discrimination, and allow for remedies and damages in the event of adverse employment actions.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against in your workplace, you have a right to file a workplace discrimination claim. Our Leesburg workplace discrimination attorneys can assist you throughout the entire process and ensure that you receive the damages that you deserve for your unfair treatment.
Employee Protections Under Discrimination Laws
Discrimination laws are in place to protect employees from any adverse employment actions, and not just wrongful termination. Adverse employment actions can be many things, but oftentimes include:
- Unfair reviews;
- Unwarranted suspensions;
- Unwarranted demotions;
- Refusals to promote;
- Refusals to hire;
- Sexual harassment; and
- General harassment.
Illegal workplace discrimination comes in many forms. If you feel that you are being discriminated against in the workplace, let our Virginia discrimination lawyers advocate on your behalf to have the situation remedied.
Damages for Workplace Discrimination Claims
Depending on the extent of the discrimination and the adverse employment actions that resulted, there are a few different remedies available to victims of workplace discrimination, including:
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Back Pay: Victims of workplace discrimination most commonly receive back pay as their form of relief. This is to make up for any wages that were lost as a result of the discriminatory adverse actions. For example, if you were fired because your employer found out that you were pregnant, you would receive back pay for the amount of money you would have received had your employer kept you on. Another example would be if you were not promoted because of your skin color. Your employer would owe you back pay, but it would be the difference between your current salary and the raise you did not receive. In both examples, the courts will take into consideration the bonuses, benefits, and any other compensation beyond the typical wages that you may have lost as a result of the discriminatory adverse actions.
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Punitive Damages: Punitive damages are damages meant to punish the employer for their violation of the law. Typically, a judge will only order punitive damages when the employer acted malice with such reckless indifference to the rights of others as to warrant punishment in addition to other damages.
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Reinstatement: Reinstatement is when the judge will order the employer to reinstate your position within the company. If the adverse employment reaction was failure to promote, the judge may even order a reinstatement into the position that you were denied. However, clients sometimes do not prefer to pursue this remedy if it would mean going back to the same negative situation and employment relationship giving rise to the discrimination and lawsuit in the first place.
Consult a Leesburg Discrimination Attorney
At Simms Showers, LLP, our Virginia discrimination attorneys are here to advocate for your rights in the event that you were discriminated against in the workplace. Discrimination of any kind is a very serious violation of the law, and should you be subject to it, you deserve compensatory damages and more. To consult with our discrimination lawyers about the options you have for pursuing workplace discrimination damages, contact Simms Showers, LLP at 703-997-7821 today.
