Unlawful Discrimination In The Workplace-What You Need to Know

Whether you are an employer or an employee, is vital that you have at least a basic understanding of workers' rights. As an employer, you want to make certain you are not making any missteps before you so much as run a background check or request an employee driving record . As an employee, you should familiarize yourself with your rights and responsibilities before even beginning the application process.

One concept you should familiarize yourself with is that of unlawful discrimination. Definitions may vary depending on where you live and whether you are approaching it from a legal or colloquial standpoint. So, what is unlawful discrimination? Legally, unlawful discrimination is when someone makes a decision—generally a negative or unfair one - based on the protected status of another person. What qualifies as a protected status depends on where you live. Some protected statuses are: race, ethnicity, religion, sex/gender, pregnancy, sexuality, age, and disability. Even if someone does not currently fall under a status that is protected, law is constantly evolving and they could still make a case.

Why is it important for employers to understand unlawful discrimination? When an employer has a full understanding of the concept, they are better able to make informed decisions when it comes to the hiring and firing processes. Informed decisions result in few legal troubles and general headaches. However, law is a tricky field and is difficult to navigate on your own. While you should do the best you can to keep yourself educated, relying on a lawyer or a company with greater familiarity with the laws is advisable.

Employers should be aware that accusations of discrimination could be made before an employee is even hired. Background checks are particularly vulnerable to accusations of discrimination. However, they should not be skipped as doing so can open you up to a variety of lawsuits related to negligent hiring practices. Instead, make certain that you apply background checks evenly to all candidates, use a reliable company, and comply with guidelines issued by the EEOC.

Employees should also have a solid understanding of what does and does not constitute unlawful discrimination. An unlawful discrimination example would be an employer firing you because they do not like the church you attend or running a background check on you because of your race while not running one on employees of other races. A non-example would be your employer firing you because you display visible tattoos despite having signed a contract noting that it was against the dress code.

No matter which side of the line you are on, it is important that you understand unlawful discrimination. If taking on the concept yourself is too daunting, contact a lawyer or an experienced company, such as 4safedrivers.com so that they can help guide you as well as provide background check information that will help you understand potential hires or yourself as a potential employee.

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