When discrimination occurs in the workplace, it makes employees feel uncomfortable. Employment discrimination happens when an employee or an applicant is treated unfairly due to his or her race, skin color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, or age. Earlier this month, it was announced that Riot Games would pay nearly $10 million in a legal settlement after accusations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment came to light.
In 2018, multiple employees sued video game developer and publisher Riot Games, after multiple women spoke out about being treated as outsiders and passed over for promotions based on their gender. Riot had attempted to force two women into legal arbitration, which prompted a walkout at the company in the spring of this year.
Riot now plans to compensate around 1,000 of the women who worked at the company from 2014 until the present. The dollar amount will vary per individual, based on their time working with the gaming publisher; it is estimated Riot will pay at least $10 million to current and former female employees.
Understanding Workplace Discrimination
An employee can be both harassed and discriminated against; therefore, understanding the difference between the two is important. Unwelcome behavior by a co-worker, superior, client, or anyone else at the workplace based upon race, religion, sex, nationality, age, disability, or genetic information constitutes workplace harassment. When a boss, supervisor, or co-worker says or does something that creates an intimidating, hostile, or threatening work environment, the affected employee is being discriminated against through harassment.
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee is adversely discriminated against due to any number of factors. In addition to race, religion, sex, nationality, age, disability, and genetic information, employees can also be discriminated against due to pregnancy or even their relationships. In fact, employment discrimination can happen in many different scenarios such as:
- Stating or suggesting a preferred candidate in a job advertisement
- Excluding potential employees during recruitment
- Denying certain employees compensation or benefits
- Paying equally-qualified employees in the same position different salaries
- Discriminating when assigning disability or maternity leave
- Denying or disrupting the use of company facilities
- Discrimination when issuing promotions or layoffs
Federal law prohibits employment discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, just to name a few.
Houston Employment Discrimination Attorneys
Employment disputes can have devastating effects on an organization’s reputation and harms those involved. If you are interested in preventing disputes from occurring or are currently facing an employment law issue, the attorneys at Feldman & Feldman can protect your interests. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss your legal needs.