New York City Discrimination

Akin & Smith employment law firm of New York City serves clients in cases of employment, age, gender, racial, disability and workplace discrimination.

We are dedicated to representing employees in disputes against their employers regarding discrimination laws, especially in New York City. Our employment attorneys are experienced and have litigated on behalf of many employees in discrimination cases.

Discrimination

Discrimination toward or against a worker or potential employee is the unequal treatment or consideration of that person based on social category or class rather than on his or her individual merit. Although discrimination can sometimes be policy or behavior promoting certain groups (as in the case of affirmative action), it is more often associated with biased or unfavorable action directed against a certain group of people.

Employment discrimination refers to discriminatory practices in the workplace such as a bias in recruiting, hiring, financial or benefit compensation, job assignment or promotion, and termination based on personal characteristics. Job discrimination can also include sexual harassment or other factors that create a hostile work environment.

Direct Discrimination

Job discrimination laws prohibit both explicit or direct discrimination and also some forms of unintentional discrimination. Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favorably because they possess a personal attribute or characteristic (i.e. race, age, gender) compared with another person without that quality.

Indirect Discrimination

Indirect discrimination occurs when a supposedly neutral selection practice actually disadvantages some minority groups in the hiring process. It involves setting up arbitrary conditions or requirements (such as height restrictions or standardized testing) without reasonable justification or cause. Unless requirements are job-related and can be justified as a necessity for the position, the use of such extraneous criteria can be considered a violation of New York discrimination law.

The New York City discrimination attorneys at Akin & Smith can address concerns you might have about employment discrimination you face. Contact us for a consultation regarding your rights to a fair workplace environment.