Being discriminated against can come at any time. Some individuals may feel as if they have faced a significant amount of mistreatment throughout their lives due to their race, religion, national origin or other characteristics. Though workplace discrimination is illegal, some individuals still find themselves subjected to mistreatment while on the job.
New York readers may be interested in an out-of-state case that had favorable outcomes for two workers. The workers are a married couple who are African-American. They both worked for the state’s Department of Corrections, and while on duty, the woman often faced discriminatory comments, including being called “Mammy” and “the black one.” She also felt that she was placed in dangerous situations during the course of her work-related duties due to her race.
The woman’s husband also began to experience harassment on the job due to their relationship, particularly after she filed a legal claim against the department. A copy of her lawsuit was sent to her husband’s boss in efforts to cause problems for him on the job. The jury on the case ruled in favor of the couple and awarded them over $11 million. It is expected that the state will appeal the decision.
Workplace discrimination can make individuals feel terrible, negatively affect their ability to work and cause a number of other problems in both their professional and personal lives. If New York workers believe that they are being subjected to illegal treatment while on the job, they may want to remember that they have legal rights. It may be in some parties best interests to consider their options for moving forward with legal claims to remedy the situation.
