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Racial Discrimination

San Francisco, California Racial Discrimination & Harassment Attorneys

Racial discrimination in the workplace violates both California and Federal Law.  If you believe you have suffered racial discrimination at work in San Francisco, or elsewhere in California, you may be able to obtain compensation and seek justice for the wrongs you have suffered.

In many cases an employee seeks advice regarding racial discrimination when he or she is denied a promotion, is demoted, or terminated and believes this decision was based on race, color or ethic appearance.  The employer frequently claims that the employment decision was based on a non-discriminatory reason. It requires an experienced racial discrimination attorney to investigate all the facts, including the employer’s personnel practices and policies to determine whether California of Federal laws against racial discrimination have been violated.

Examples of Workplace Racial Discrimination

Illegal discriminatory acts include:

  • hiring procedures which tend to disfavor certain races
  • the assignment of difficult or dangerous jobs to persons of color
  • a greater workload for those of certain ethnic groups
  • lower salaries for minority groups
  • fewer benefits depending upon racial identity
  • fewer chances of promotion depending on race
  • fewer opportunities for training depending upon racial group

Disparate Treatment vs. Disparate Impact Discrimination Cases

There are two types of racial discrimination an employee may face on the job:

  • Disparate Treatment:  This includes the acts by the employer of treating a person of one race differently than another.
  • Disparate Impact:  This is a more subtle form of racial discrimination.  It includes the rules, regulations and policies implemented by the employer which on the surface might appear to be race-neutral, but in practice impact people of different races differently.

Racial Harassment on the Job

Racial discrimination may also come in the form of racial harassment by other employees or supervisors.  Examples of racial harassment may include racially offensive comments, jokes, cartoons, pictures or emails.  In California, an employer is required to take immediate action to prevent such action from occurring.

A California employer is “strictly liable” for any racial harassment committed by a supervisor.  In these cases, once the harassment is proven, the employer is automatically liable.  In the situation of a co-worker who racially harasses another co-worker, the employer must be notified of the harassment and have an opportunity to correct the situation before it becomes liable. 

California Racial Discrimination Lawyers

If you need the services of a California racial discrimination or harassment attorney, it is important to seek an attorney with expertise and an excellent reputation. The Law Offices of Mayor Joseph L. Alioto and Angela Alioto P.L.C. are distinguished by their national recognition in Civil Rights and Employment Law. We successfully represent individuals in the areas of work-place discrimination based on race, age, disability, gender, religion and sexual orientation, as well as harassment, wage/hour, retaliatory discharge, and wrongful termination.