Irvine National Origin Discrimination Lawyer
It is widely understood that employers cannot discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their race. But many people are unaware of the fact that California law also forbids discrimination on the basis of national origin. Indeed, this concept is often confusing because people do not grasp how national origin can play a role–sometimes subtly–in affecting employment conditions.
If you have been denied a job or otherwise been treated unfavorably because of where you were born or your ethnicity, then you need to speak with a qualified Irvine national origin discrimination lawyer. At The Garza Firm, our attorneys have over 60 years of combined high-level experience in California employment law. We can help you fight for the compensation you are entitled to from an employer who engaged in illegal discrimination.
Employers Cannot Treat Workers Unfairly Based on Where They Are From
National origin is one of many protected characteristics under both the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The use of “national origin” in this context means that employers cannot base their hiring or employment decisions on the following factors:
- ancestry;
- physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics associated with a particular group;
- marriage to or association with a particular group;
- affiliation with a particular tribe or sub-group;
- membership in any school, religious institution, or other organization that promotes the interests of a particular national origin group.
Keep in mind, a national origin group can be broadly defined as people who come from a particular part of the world–such as South America–or more targeted in scope to include groups within a particular country, such as Native American tribes in the United States. It is also against the law for an employer to discriminate based on perceived national origin. In other words, an employer cannot treat you unfairly because they think you belong to a particular national group, even if you do not.
In many cases, national origin discrimination is not as overt as a refusal to hire someone from a particular ethnic group. An employer might decide to assign–or not assign–employees to particular tasks based on their real or perceived ethnicity. For example, if an employer refuses to assign employees who appear “Middle Eastern” to customer service jobs, that would be a form of national origin discrimination. Similarly, if Hispanic employees are subjected to repeated insults and harassment at work based on the perception they are not in the United States legally, that can create a hostile work environment, which is also a form of national origin discrimination.
Contact The Garza Firm Today
National origin discrimination is a serious problem that should never be tolerated in the workplace. If you have been denied a job or treated unfairly by an employer based on your ancestry or ethnicity, you should speak with an experienced Irvine national origin discrimination lawyer as soon as possible. Contact The Garza Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation with a member of our California employment law team.
