California is perhaps the world's most diverse region with a workforce representing individuals with heritages and backgrounds from around the nation and indeed the world. While this incredible diversity of ancestries makes for one of the strongest economies and labor forces worldwide, unfortunately discrimination in the workplace based on ancestry continues to occur on a regular basis. If you have been discriminated against on the job – or as an applicant in the hiring process – based on some aspect of your ancestry, you may be able to bring an employment discrimination under California and/or federal law.
The employment law attorneys at Vogel Law, APC in Pasadena are here to help you assess whether you have indeed been the target of illegal employment discrimination, and, if so, take the lead in pursuing all legal remedies you are entitled to, including financial compensation and restoration of your position.
Defining Ancestry Discrimination in California
Ancestry discrimination often overlaps with other forms of illegal discrimination, including race discrimination, national origin discrimination, and disability or genetic information discrimination.
Essentially, if an employer (through the actions of a supervisor, officer, owner, or other individual in power) discriminates against you through an adverse employment decision – such as failing to hire you, demoting you, or terminating your employment – based on some aspect of your ancestry that is not material to functions of the job, then you may have grounds to pursue an employment discrimination under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
An employment discrimination claim may also be based on a hostile work environment in which your ancestry is held up to ridicule, and the employer insufficiently addresses the situation.
Common Examples of Ancestry Discrimination
Attributes of a person's ancestry that could form the basis of an ancestry employment discrimination claim in California in connection with an adverse employment decision and/or hostile work environment could include:
- Your national origin
- The national origin of your ancestors
- Your religion
- The person to whom you are married
- Your accent
- Your language
- The religion or religious institution with which you identify
- Disability and/or genetic information relating to your ancestry
- Association with groups related to a heritage
Winning Your Ancestry Discrimination Claim
Supervisors and employers who are aware of employment discrimination laws will often try to mask the true nature of discrimination by pointing to an ulterior, legal motive for an adverse employment decision, such as poor work performance.
When you work with the employment discrimination attorneys at Vogel Law, APC, however, we will take steps to fully investigate the true nature of the adverse employment decision in pursuit of making a compelling case for employment discrimination. This can be done through interviews, retrieval of internal documents, depositions, and other forms of discovery.
Thus, it is not critical that you have incontrovertible proof of discrimination at the outset. When you contact our office for a free consultation, we will begin the process of working with you to assess the likelihood of success of your potential claim, and take steps accordingly to pursue justice on your behalf.
Contact a Pasadena Workplace Discrimination Attorney Today
Vogel Law, APC represents California workers in helping them win justice and financial recovery through employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and other labor law matters. With three decades of experience in bringing hundreds of actions on behalf of California workers, Brian Vogel has the skills, tenacity, and deep knowledge of California and federal employment law to fight for justice on your behalf. Contact him today to schedule a consultation regarding your potential ancestry discrimination claim.