You may believe that discrimination only exists in certain types of workplaces but that is not true. Discrimination exists all over and social standing and other human differences do not really drive discrimination at all. Whenever and wherever you bring diverse people together, you will find evidence of some sort of discrimination.
However, employees have rights in the workplace. One of those rights is that they should not be subject to discrimination because of the color of their skin. An example of this is a recent case of a second lawsuit that an employee filed against an Oregon labor agency because of alleged racism.
State agency under scrutiny
According to a recent news report, at least two former employees have filed lawsuits against the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, accusing the agency of racial discrimination.
In one of these lawsuits, a woman who worked as an investigator for the agency’s civil rights division alleges that she experienced racial hostility and discrimination at the agency. In her lawsuit, she asks for $750,000 in damages. Her claims were similar to those made by another former employee at the agency who filed suit earlier in the year.
The Bureau of Labor & Industries disputed the former employees’ versions of events, but has hired a law firm to investigate alleged racial discrimination at the agency.
Workers have rights
Racial discrimination at work is a notoriously complex problem in Oregon and everywhere else in the United States, but it’s important that workers remember that they have right. Any worker who feels they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination in the workplace can speak to an experienced employment law attorney to learn more about their rights and legal options.