As a worker in Florida, you have certain protections granted to you by both federal-level and state-level employment laws. While all of these laws, rules, and regulations are important, the laws that shield you from unjust employment discrimination may be among the most important.
Discrimination, in the context of employment laws, generally means the unfair application of treatment, negative or positive, based on a protected class. Negative treatment can include everything from illegal termination to being passed over for employment opportunities.
The legal protections against employment discrimination are so powerful, they even extend to you when you are unemployed, such as the fact that you cannot be discriminated against as an applicant to a job.
Protected Classes in Florida
In Florida, there are a number of protected classes:
- Age
- AID/HIV diagnosis
- Color
- Disability, or “handicap” as it is often called in Florida law texts
- Marital status
- National origin
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
- Sickle cell trait
Additionally, federal employment law applies additional protections in Florida:
- Citizenship status
- Genetic information
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
If you experience negative treatment due to one of these protected classes, then it may constitute a violation of your rights as a worker or potential worker in Florida.
The same can be said if you experience a negativity due to someone else being unjustly preferred due to a protected class that you do not share. For example, if someone is promoted solely based on their religion, you do not practice that religion, and you were also a promotion candidate, then you have been discriminated against despite not being immediately affected by that promotion.
Do you need the help of an attorney to set things right? Justice Litigation Attorneys in Tampa is here to help and empower you. We represent clients throughout Florida who have been overlooked or mistreated by employers, coworkers, and the like. Call us at (800) 219-1324 to begin your case.