As an employee, you have the right to feel welcomed and encouraged in the workplace – not thought of as inferior or treated with hostility. Sadly, a lot of workers are mistreated and are subject to unfair judgment and inequality in the workplace.
Workplace discrimination is a serious charge. According to data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency received 72,675 discrimination claims in fiscal year 2019, which ended on Sept. 30, 2019.
Of those claims, retaliation was by far the most common charge filed with the EEOC (53.8 percent of all charges), with disability discrimination (33.4 percent), racial discrimination (33 percent), sex discrimination (32.4 percent), and age discrimination (21.4 percent) rounding out the top 5.
Other discrimination claims filed with the EEOC can be broken down as follows:
- National Origin: 9.6 percent
- Color: 4.7 percent
- Religion: 3.7 percent
- Equal Pay Act: 1.5 percent
- Genetic Information: 0.3 percent
**Percentages add up to more than 100 percent due to some charges alleging multiple bases.
While the total number of charges went down from 76,418 in 2018 and 84,254 in 2017, a whopping $346.6 million was paid out in cash settlements as a result of these employment law claims. Of that, around $205 million was to settle claims of retaliation while $68.2 million was for claims of sexual harassment. A grand total of 157 enforcement lawsuits were filed by the EEOC in 2019, representing a 27.65 percent decrease from the 217 lawsuits that were filed in 2018.
Take strong action with a West Virginia employment law attorney
If you’re the victim of workplace discrimination or have otherwise had your rights violated by your boss, trying to figure out what to do about it can be confusing and overwhelming. You shouldn’t have to work under those conditions and it’s not fair for anyone to expect you to quit your job because of someone else’s discriminatory actions.
While you may want to pursue legal action against your employer, you might feel apprehensive and scared of retaliation. That’s why you should strongly consider talking to an experienced employment law attorney who will stand by your side, help you navigate the process, and be your voice for justice.
At Klie Law Offices, our West Virginia employment law attorneys handle a wide range of discrimination cases, including:
- Disability Discrimination
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- National Origin Discrimination
- Age Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- Gender Discrimination
- Sexual Orientation Discrimination
No matter what type of discrimination case you’re dealing with, contact our West Virginia law firm right away. Our employment law attorneys can review the details of your case and explain your legal options.
Best of all, we represent workplace discrimination victims on a contingency fee basis. In other words, there are no upfront costs and you owe us nothing unless we obtain financial compensation for your employment law case.
Stand up for your rights and don’t tolerate workplace discrimination. Contact us today for a free case evaluation. We serve clients in all of West Virginia – and Attorneys Erika Klie Kolenich and Karl Kolenich are also licensed to practice law in Ohio.