Columbus Employment Discrimination Attorney

Employment discrimination comes in many forms, and it refers to a situation in which a person faces discrimination in the workplace as a result of a protected characteristic, such as race, sex, age, or national origin. Whether you have experienced discrimination in your job search on the basis of age, disability, race, or sex, or if you recently were denied a promotion for other discriminatory reasons, it is important to remember that employees and job applications deserve equal treatment. Federal laws and state laws exist to protect job applicants and employees from unlawful discrimination, and if you believe you were the victim of employment discrimination, you may be eligible to file an employment discrimination claim.

The Ohio workplace discrimination lawyers at Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC are committed to providing assistance to employees and job applicants in Columbus who have been the victims of employment discrimination.

What is Employment Discrimination in Columbus?

There are various forms of illegal employment discrimination in Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the country. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lists the following as forms of employment discrimination:

• Age
• Disability
• Equal pay
• Genetic information
• Harassment
• National origin
• Pregnancy
• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Retaliation
• Sex
• Sexual harassment

Employment discrimination can occur at many different phases of the employment process, from applying for a job and during the hiring process to decisions about promotion and termination.

Federal Law Prohibits Employment Discrimination in Columbus, Ohio

Numerous federal laws exist to protect individuals from employment discrimination, including but not limited to the following:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which is an amendment to Title VII that makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a woman because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition that is related to pregnancy or childbirth
• The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which says it is unlawful to pay men and women differently when they are in the same workplace and perform equal work
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which prohibits discrimination against individuals who are aged 40 and older on the basis of their age
• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person on the basis of disability
• The Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person’s genetic information (such as a family history of disease).

Given that there are many different federal laws in place to prohibit the various forms of employment discrimination, filing a claim can be complicated. These claims also must be filed with the EEOC in a specific manner. As such, it is important to work with a Columbus employment discrimination lawyer if you plan to file a claim.

State Law Makes Employment Discrimination Unlawful in Ohio

Ohio state law also prohibits certain forms of employment discrimination. In general, most of the protections are similar to those under federal law, but they all fall under one statute. Under the Ohio Revised Code 4112.02, it is unlawful “for any employer, because of the race, color, religion, sex, military status, national origin, disability, age, or ancestry of any person” to discriminate in matters of employment.

An employment discrimination claim under Ohio state law must be filed with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC).

An Experienced Columbus Employment Discrimination Attorney Can Help

Should you file a federal or a state claim if you experienced employment discrimination? The answer to that question depends upon the specific facts of your case, and it is important to learn more about your options by speaking with an experienced employment discrimination lawyer in Columbus as soon as possible. Contact Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC to learn more about how we can help with your claim.