![Employment Laws]()
Workplace Discrimination in Kansas and Missouri
Missouri, Kansas, and Federal laws prevent discrimination in the workplace. In order to have a discrimination claim, however, you will have to have been treated unfairly because you belong to a “protected class.” What is a protected class? A protected class is a group of people who qualify for certain special protection under a law or policy. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal anti-discrimination laws, it is thus illegal to be discriminated against because of your:
- Race
- Age
- National Origin
- Religion
- Gender
- Medical Condition (including pregnancy and childbirth)
- Disability
- Religion
- Veteran Status
- Marriage to someone with an association with an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or disability
- Martial Status
Victims of discrimination an suffer both emotional and financial harm as a result of such unfair treatment. An employee may experience discrimination in a number of areas related to employment, such as:
- Hiring
- Firing
- Compensation
- Transfer
- Use of company facilities
- Recruitment
- Promotion
- Testing
- Job assignment
- Sexual harassment
- Unequal treatment on the job
- Training and apprenticeship programs
Generally, employers with 20 or more workers must follow federal laws governing discrimination in the workplace. There are a few exceptions to this. The Missouri Human Rights Act apprise to Missouri employers with six (6) or more employees during (20) or more weeks in the current or prior calendar year. Further, federal law requires all employers to provide equal pay to workers with the same job, regardless of gender. Employers must also consider hiring or promoting both men and women for every open position. An exception to this may apply if a certain job can only be performed by someone of a specific gender.
Moreover, an employer may sometimes retaliate against an employee who files a lawsuit or reports them to a state or federal agency because of discrimination. While retaliation is illegal, many employees do not know how to defend themselves when this occurs and it can form the basis of a lawsuit in federal or state court.
We Know How to Handle Sensitive and Complex Employment Law Cases
In the majority of discrimination claims, employers will deny the accusation, claiming that the employee did something wrong or is to blame for the maltreatment he or she suffered. Our attorneys carefully examine the excuses they give for their behavior, whether they followed all the necessary steps to handle misconduct, and whether the adverse action against our client was justified.
