Of all the different types of discrimination that a Minnesota resident might face in the workplace, racial discrimination is probably the most common, unfortunately. Although our society has made great strides in this area, particularly through the enactment of various federal and state laws to protect minority workers from discrimination, the sad reality is that racial discrimination still occurs.
Do Minnesota's black residents still face race discrimination?
The umbrella of laws that protect against discrimination
Our readers who are familiar with previous posts here know that all kinds of discrimination still exist in workplaces in Minnesota and throughout the country, but also that there are laws in place to protect employees against discrimination and to hold employers who engage in this illegal conduct accountable. There is, in fact, what you could call an umbrella of laws in place to protect workers.
How big of a problem is pregnancy discrimination?
Families in Minnesota oftentimes plan meticulously for pregnancies. Couples will strive to ensure, as much as possible, that they are financially secure and have the living space to welcome a new addition to the family. However, one aspect of pregnancy that may come as a surprise is the potential for an employee to experience discrimination in the workplace due to the pregnancy. But, how big of a problem is pregnancy discrimination?
What employees need to know about age discrimination
Like disability discrimination, age discrimination can sometimes go unnoticed by the casual observer of employment law developments. In the news right now, race and gender discrimination, along with sexual harassment in the workplace, are getting much more attention. However, it is important to realize that there is a variety of other types of discrimination that can occur in workplaces throughout the country and in Minnesota, including age discrimination.
Holding employers accountable for disability discrimination
Of all the different forms of employment discrimination that people hear about in news reports - age, race and gender, for example - one form of discrimination that can "fly under the radar" is disability discrimination. Is this because disability discrimination is less common than other forms of employment discrimination? Perhaps. But, the fact remains that thousands of Americans, including many people in Minnesota, are productive parts of the workforce while living with a disability.
Minnesota is worse than other states when it comes to equal pay
Most of the employment news stories that our readers see these days address sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. However, there are plenty of other concerns as well, including the persistent issue of the gap in pay between male and female employees. As our readers may know, female workers in all types of employment roles are consistently paid less than their male counterparts. And, unfortunately, the problem is worse in Minnesota than it is in many other states.
Important things to know about religious discrimination
As an employee, your religion should never have any impact on your job. Unfortunately, there are times when a person is treated unfavorably as the result of his or her religious beliefs.
Major Supreme Court decisions favors employers over employees
Our readers in Minnesota may have seen a previous post here that discussed arbitration clauses that are commonly part of the terms and conditions of employment contracts. These types of clauses have been a hot-button issue in employment law circles, as they are often used to force employees away from the courtroom, into arbitration and - most importantly - away from the ability to form a "class" and pursue a class action lawsuit. In a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the ability of employers to include these arbitration clauses in employment contracts was upheld.
