Practice Areas

Employment Discrimination

There are several laws protecting employees from being discriminated against in the workplace. Title VII of the Civil rights act was passed in 1964 prohibiting employers from discriminating against their employees based on race, religion, sex, color or national origin. In addition the the Equal Pay Act of 1963 protects employees from sex-based wage discrimination. In addition the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed to prohibit employers from discriminating against people with disabilities.

Free Case Consultation
If you or someone you know has been been discriminated against by their employer, contact our office to speak with an experienced employment discrimination attorney.

Despite the fact that these laws have been in place for more almost 50 years, discrimination in the workplace still occurs:

A report by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress revealed that women on average earn 20% less than what men earned, despite the fact that women are more educated and employed today than in the 90’s.

Even the legal profession, which should know better, does not practice equal pay. A report entitled “New Millennium, Same Glass Ceiling? The Impact of Law Firm Compensation Systems on Women,” the Project for Attorney Retention (at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law) and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, found that female lawyers earned only 74% of what their male counterparts were earning. Female equity partners, on average, earned $66,000 less than male equity partners.

In 2010, federal courts saw a 62% increase in filings from the same time in 2009. Fair Labor Standards Act cases rose 25%, and cases under the American with Disabilities Act rose 37%.

The EEOC recently reported that the claims based on pregnancy discrimination increased by 30%. Claims based on other types of discrimination such age, race and religion rose by 25%. The increase in pregnancy discrimination case can be attributed to the increase in the number of women working as well as their becoming more aware of the their rights and their employer’s lack of.

Although it is not as common as sexual harassment experience by women, the EEOC recently reported an increase in sexual harassment claims filed by men from 8% to 16% over the last two decades. Additionally, gender discrimination claims by men has also increased.

While the jobless rate for most Americans hovers around 8.4%, the jobless rate for Americans with disabilities was at 14.4% Of people with disabilities whose ages range from 55 to 64, only 25.1% of this group was employed. The unemployment rate goes down with younger groups.

At Donald W. Fohrman & Associates, Ltd., our employment attorneys have the experience and knowledge to investigate, and where legally appropriate, successfully prosecute sexual harassment claims and other type of discriminatory conduct prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 including race/color, religion, pregnancy, age and national origin discrimination.

If you or someone you know has been been discriminated against by their employer, contact our office at 800-437-2571 to speak with an experienced employment discrimination attorney.

Request a
Free Consultation