Gender Discrimination Attorneys in Long Island Assisting Workers
Gender discrimination does not belong in the Long Island workplace. Whether you discovered that you are being paid substantially less than another employee who has the same job title and duty as you on the basis of gender, or you have faced harassment in the workplace because of your gender, one of the dedicated and experienced Ricotta & Marks, P.C. gender discrimination attorneys in Long Island can assist you.
Understanding Long Island Laws Prohibiting Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Gender discrimination can be unlawful under both federal law and state law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) clarifies that “discrimination against an individual because of gender identity, including transgender status, or because of sexual orientation is discrimination because of sex in violation of Title VII.”
The New York State Human Rights Law expressly prohibits gender discrimination in employment, stating that “the opportunity to obtain employment without discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex, marital status, or disability, is hereby recognized as and declared to be a civil right.”
New York State Law Provides More Specific Protection for Employees in Gender Discrimination Claims
Although the EEOC makes clear that it interprets the prohibition against sex discrimination under Title VII to include gender discrimination, New York State law tends to provide clearer protections to employees who face discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity, or gender expression given that those protections are written directly into the law.
Examples of Gender Discrimination in the Long Island Workplace
There are many different forms that workplace gender discrimination can take. The following are just some examples of unlawful gender discrimination in the workplace:
- Employer advertises a job and requests that applicants only be of a particular gender (e.g., “Men Applicants Only”);
- Employer decides to promote employees on the basis of gender;
- Employer decides to demote employees on the basis of gender;
- Co-workers, clients, vendors, or anyone else within the work environment makes pervasive and discriminatory comments about gender that create a hostile work environment;
- Employer terminates an employee after the employer discovers that the employee is transgender or transitioning;
- Employer pays employees of one gender significantly less than employees of another gender who all perform similar work;
- Employer treats an employee differently because of how the employer perceives that employee’s gender;
- Employer requires an employee to perform sexual favors in order to avoid being demoted or terminated; or
- Employer takes adverse action against an employee who files a gender discrimination claim.
These are just some examples of unlawful gender discrimination in the Long Island workplace. If you believe you have experienced unlawful gender discrimination, you should reach out to an experienced Long Island gender discrimination attorney as soon as possible to have your case assessed.
Learning More About Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
While you might not immediately realize sexual harassment as a form of gender discrimination, it is important to understand that sex and gender discrimination certainly can include sexual harassment in the workplace. Generally speaking, there are two different types of sexual harassment that can be considered forms of gender discrimination:
- Quid pro quo (or “this for that”) harassment, in which an employer requests or demands sexual acts or favors from an employee in exchange for privileges or protections at work; or
- Hostile workplace discrimination, which results from an employer, co-worker, client, or other person in the workplace who engages in pervasive deeply offensive acts of gender discrimination such that the behavior creates a hostile work environment.
In hostile work environment claims, gender discrimination can involve use of specific language or behavior against an employee as a result of that employee’s gender, or it can include behavior that is not directly targeted at a specific employee, such as repeatedly using language or displaying images that demonstrate gender discrimination.
Seek Advice from our Gender Discrimination Attorneys in Long Island
Gender discrimination should not exist in any workplace, and employees often find it difficult to come forward with a claim alleging gender discrimination due to fear of retaliation. We want you to know that the experienced and aggressive Long Island gender discrimination attorneys at our firm will do everything we can to make your workplace safe and fair for you. Nobody should face discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity in the workplace. Contact Ricotta & Marks, P.C. to learn more about how our firm can assist you with your gender discrimination claim or call us at 347-464-8694 to speak with a lawyer about your case.