New Jersey Race Discrimination Attorneys

Protecting Against Race Discrimination in the Workplace

Every day, employers deny people jobs or promotions or terminate employees because of their race or the color of their skin. Millions of Americans face this very problem on a regular basis. That’s why we’re here to represent you and fight for your rights.

What Is Racial Discrimination?

Race discrimination occurs when someone subjects another person or group of people to unequal treatment because of their race. The federal law which specifically prohibits race-based discrimination is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically protects employees and applicants for jobs from discrimination based on their race, color, religion, and more. It covers the full spectrum of possible areas for discrimination in a working environment. These areas include recruitment, hiring, firing, and all other decisions concerning employment. Additionally, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 strengthened the existing civil rights laws. Similar, and in many regards stronger and better, protections against race discrimination are provided by the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

Does Race Discrimination Need to Be Intentional?

Many different forms of racial discrimination exist in the workplace. These forms include both intentional discrimination and policy-based discrimination.

For example:

• Intentional Discrimination: This occurs when any employment decision (hiring, firing, promotions, etc.) is made based on someone’s race. While it sometimes involves animosity toward one race, it can also involve conscious or unconscious stereotypes about traits, abilities, or performances of racial groups.
• Unintentional (Policy-Based) Discrimination: Even policies believed by many to be neutral are discriminatory. Certain practices or policies might end up excluding racial groups in much larger percentages than others. If no business necessity exists for that practice, or if the need could be met in a less negatively impactful way, the practice is considered unlawful.

How Can You Prove Race Discrimination in the Workplace?

Many ways exist in which we prove racial discrimination in the workplace. Any good race discrimination lawyer will explore all possible avenues for finding evidence that supports your case.

Some of the ways in which we look for evidence of race discrimination are:

• Direct Evidence: While rare, direct evidence is something that clearly proves a fact. If possible, you want as much of this type of evidence as possible, as it greatly strengthens your case. However, companies and organizations go to great lengths to hide or destroy this evidence. They’re aware that, if found, that evidence might lead to a discrimination lawsuit against them.
• Indirect (Circumstantial) Evidence: This type of evidence does not directly prove the fact of racial discrimination. However, it serves as evidence of other facts which point to racial discrimination in the workplace.