A person is often considered lucky when they land a job that has been their dream or long-term career goal. Even in a dream job, unfair practices could turn even a great job into a disastrous situation. Minnesota workers, dealing with employment discrimination in the workplace, could also mean dealing with a hostile and uncomfortable work experience. Furthermore, co-workers and employers who display or partake in discrimination in the workplace could suffer huge consequences for targeting an employee and discriminating against them for reasons, such as their race, gender, age, sexual orientation or other identifying characteristic.
A recent report focused on Native Americans and how they are treated in the workforce. The report relied on recent statistics that indicated that Native American employment was lowest in the regions where employment was the highest. These numbers were collected since the start of the recession in 2007. These results led researcher to believe that Native Americans have been experiencing a rise in race discrimination.
In areas where Native American residents are high, it was thought that their employment rate would be similar to white residents in the area. Researchers found that this was not the case and, in fact, found that the labor market appeared to discriminate against Native Americans in these areas. States in the Northern Plains and in the western Midwest, which includes Minnesota, were the states that depicted an employment-rate gap for Native Americans.
Whether it is based on their race, gender or sexual orientation, employees or those applying for a job should understand that if they believe they are being discriminated against there are options available to them. This could mean filing a complaint and filing a civil suit against their current or potential employer for discrimination. This could result in compensation for the damages they suffered.
When it comes to a hostile work environment or wrongful termination based on discrimination, an employee should understand their rights. Seeking advice in these very emotional and difficult situations could be in their best interest in order to protect their rights and interests.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Do Native Americans Face Discrimination in the Labor Market?,” Algernon Austin, Dec. 5, 2013
