Wrongful termination often goes hand-in-hand with discrimination, although that’s not always the case. However, if it does happen to you—whether it’s related to age, disability, race, or something else—it may be in your best interest to talk to a Glendale discrimination lawyer who can help.

Wrongful Termination and Discrimination: What You Need to Know

There are several types of discrimination, and certain forms are illegal. It’s illegal for an employer to discriminate against someone because of his or her:

• Age
• Disability
• Genetic information
• National origin
• Pregnancy
• Race or color
• Religion
• Sex

There are federal and state laws that protect employees from workplace discrimination, and other laws to prevent employers from making job decisions based on these protected classes.

Some of the Most Common Wrongful Termination and Discrimination Cases

While discrimination is illegal when it’s related to the protected classes above, some of the most common wrongful termination and discrimination cases are related to race or color and national origin.

Wrongful Termination and Race Discrimination

Race discrimination as it pertains to employment has been illegal since Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (you read that correctly—it says 1866!). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 expanded protections for employees, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean race discrimination stopped happening in the workplace.

State and federal laws are very clear, though: Employers can’t make job decisions based on someone’s race, from promotion to wrongful termination.

Discrimination based on a person’s color is also illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Color discrimination may involve workers of different races, but it can also happen when workers are all the same race.

Wrongful Termination and National Origin Discrimination

Still under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, national origin discrimination is illegal. An employer can’t make work decision based on an employee’s:

• Country of origin
• Birthplace
• Ethnic heritage
• Last name
• Accent
• Language preference

It is legal for an employer to require an employee to speak fluent English that’s understandable by others, but it could be considered discrimination if the employer bans other languages in the workplace. The exceptions are extremely narrow, such as when the employer operates a call center where it’s necessary to speak to customers in understandable English.

What Should You Do if You’re the Victim of Wrongful Termination Related to Discrimination?

First things first: It’s illegal for an employer to discriminate against employees that fall into a protected class of people—and you need to know that you may have legal recourse if your employer discriminates against you.

It may be a good idea to talk to a Glendale employment lawyer who understands what you’re going through and who can help you understand how federal and state laws relate to your case.

Call us at 818-617-9706 for a free discrimination consultation with an attorney. We’ll listen to the facts of your case, start developing a strategy that gets you the best possible outcome, and give you case-specific legal advice that helps you start moving forward.