Women working face tough challenges in the workplace. Sex discrimination is becoming more prevalent,\u00a0and determining the correct course of action and what your protections are\u00a0can be tricky. Yet, women have the absolute\u00a0right to work free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation at work, and when those rights are violated, women also have the right to hold their\u00a0employers accountable.<\/p>\n
Though it is not easy to pin down the top\u00a0employment discrimination issues for working women in the U.S., the following is a short\u00a0list of some of the most important and challenging topics facing today\u2019s working women.<\/p>\n
The days of Anita Hill hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee may be over, but sexual harassment in the workplace is most definitely not.\u00a0The problem is, women rarely report it\u00a0in most instances, sometimes because they don\u2019t know for sure what they\u2019re experiencing is illegal and\u00a0defined as sexual harassment and other times because they are afraid of retaliation even though their complaints are protected.<\/p>\n
Sexual harassment is described in the legal world under to different types: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome sexual conduct is made a condition of employment. Hostile environment takes place when unwelcome sexual conduct is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile work environment interfering with job performance.<\/p>\n
Both types of sexual harassment are actionable under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which also prohibits employer retaliation against employees who file a charge of sexual harassment with the EEOC or a claim in court (or participate in court proceedings involving accusations of sexual harassment).<\/p>\n
Pregnancy discrimination is also one of the top issues\u00a0for women workers. Getting pregnant in today\u2019s working world, rather than being a celebratory occasion, is often times a scary time for working women as they know it could cost\u00a0her job or a well-earned promotion. Despite the law saying those kinds of decisions are illegal, employers still take action.<\/p>\n
According to Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, not only is it illegal to discriminate against pregnant women at work, employers must also accommodate the pregnancy unless doing so would create an unfair burden on the business.<\/p>\n
LGBT rights have been expanding,\u00a0but, there is still much improvement to be made in\u00a0the area of employment discrimination. Lawmakers and LGBT activists\u00a0alike have pushed for several years for a federal law that would outright\u00a0prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.<\/p>\n
Men\u00a0make twenty one percent more than women in the in the workplace.\u00a0The gender wage gap is more commonly expressed as the percentage outcome from dividing the median annual salary of men by the median annual salary of women across the country. \u00a0Each year,\u00a0rather than closing the wage gender gap, income differences between men and women don\u2019t seem to be improving very\u00a0significantly.<\/p>\n
Many have different explanations for the obvious wage gap in this country which include:<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0the extra childrearing responsibilities for women as the main driving force<\/p>\n
2)\u00a0Childrearing and child care often lead to more absences and late shows for work<\/p>\n
and 3)\u00a0maternity leave may contribute to the lapse in earning potential for women.<\/p>\n
Pregnancy can be an enormous issue for\u00a0some employers who\u00a0see it as setback and use it a reason to push a woman out of her job by criticizing her performance thus discriminating against women in terms of compensation, promotions, termination and even hiring.<\/p>\n
Last but not least, is the notorious\u00a0glass ceiling, which comes to mind in almost all discussions\u00a0about women employees\u00a0in the United States.\u00a0A\u00a0glass ceiling, the reference to the repeated difficulties\u00a0women face in breaking into all-male circles of authority and leadership, often boils down to acts of sex discrimination which are\u00a0prohibited under federal and state laws.<\/p>\n
The tricky part is for women workers is how to prove that glass ceiling challenges actually meet the threshold for\u00a0sex discrimination. Another issue is, most\u00a0working women who experience these challenges\u00a0are reluctant to bring such cases to court because 1) they do not know what they are experiencing is illegal and 2) they are worried about retaliation after their complaints. However, Title VII\u00a0applies to sex discrimination in all areas of employment, including hiring, firing, compensation and promotions, so taking steps to hold employers accountable is not a waste of time.<\/p>\n
Women make up a significant part of the workforce. Yet, issues like the gender wage gap and sexual harassment in the workplace present seemingly unavoidable\u00a0challenges for women workers striving to overcome the obstacles associated with their gender. It\u2019s crucial\u00a0that women become\u00a0aware of their rights in the workplace\u00a0and are prepared to stand up for themselves to fight against any illegal behavior on behalf of their employers.<\/p>\n
If you feel that you are being subjected to any form of employment discrimination in the workplace then you should consult with an attorney who is experienced in labor law immediately. The laws governing employment disputes are complex. There are strict regulations governing the process for filing a lawsuit. Furthermore, there are strict time restrictions, known as statute of limitations, as to when a lawsuit can be filed. The experienced attorneys at Shegerian Conniff are ready to hold your employer accountable, fight for your legal rights, and seek justice.\u00a0 Click here to contact us today or call us at 310-322-7500 for a free consultation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Women working face tough challenges in the workplace. Sex discrimination is becoming more prevalent,\u00a0and determining the correct course of action and what your protections are\u00a0can be tricky. Yet, women have the absolute\u00a0right to work free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation … Continue reading