Civil rights are in place in the United States to protect people from being treated unfairly. Everyone must be treated the same regardless of their race, religion, gender or any other protected characteristic. If you think that your civil rights may be being violated then this business can help.

Several acts have been put in place to protect our civil rights in the workplace. They cover a range of characteristics such as age, disability, and gender. We also have particular rights that come into play if we become parents or suffer an illness. Additionally, there are acts in place to protect us from sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation specifically in the workplace.

One example is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967 which protects people from discrimination based on age, specifically those who are 40 or older. Someone who is 40 or above cannot be treated differently based on their age.

The Americans with Disabilities Act is in place to protect people from discrimination based on a disability, providing they can do the job. This includes people who are recovering from an illness or have any deformities. It also requires companies to make reasonable adjustments for people with any difficulties. For example, a dyslexic person may need to print things to read them or someone with back problems may need to sit down frequently.

The Family and Medical Leave Act applies to people who have worked 1250 hours over the previous 12 months. It allows people to take leave after a birth of a child, if they have become seriously ill, someone else in their family has become seriously ill or died or if their child has been placed in foster care or put up for adoption. The amount of leave and pay depends on individual circumstances.

Other acts protect people across all characteristics. Examples include:

•  Due Process which prevents people from being fired from a job without due cause.
• The Equal Pay Act requires that people get paid the same for the same job.
• The Fair Labor Standards Act sets a minimum wage, overtime pay and restrictions on child labor.
• Sexual Harassment Act protects people from any unwelcome sexual advances or conduct in the workplace.
• The First Amendment gives people freedom of speech and allows them to express their opinions freely. If you feel you have been unjustly singled out by defamatory remarks due to your free speech then it’s time to get in contact with a First Amendment lawyer, like the experts at Dhillon Law.
• Violence in the workplace Act protects people against any verbal threats, intimidating behavior or physical attacks.

If an employee does believe that their civil rights are being compromised and takes action to resolve the issue they are then protected under the Retaliation Act. This means that the company cannot take any adverse action.

Workplace laws are designed to be fair and look after the employer as well as the employee.

However, a company must take any civil rights claims in the workplace very seriously and act appropriately, even if they do not think that there is an issue. It is essential that people feel safe and protected whilst at work and feel that they are able to speak out if they have any problems.

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