Dealing with discrimination at work is not easy – Period. Besides the obvious repercussions at the workplace, such discrimination can take a toll on your mental state and wellbeing. Texas is an at-will employment state, which means your employer can fire you for any or no reason at all. As an employee, you have certain rights. If you have suffered retaliation or discrimination at work because of things like your race, gender, sex, pregnancy, or religion, you could potentially sue your employer. Of course, this is not an easy task. Just because you have been fired doesn’t mean you have suffered discrimination.
Working with a reliable San Antonio employment discrimination lawyer will help you identify the scope of your case if you have one. In this post, we are sharing the things you need to do after suffering discrimination at work.
- Gather as many details as you can. To win an employment discrimination lawsuit, you must have relevant evidence. From work performance reports to witness statements, gather as much information and evidence as possible. For example, if you have suffered sexual harassment at work from a supervisor and know of other employees who have endured the same in the past, you may take their statements.
- Go to the HR department. The human resource department of your office is expected to take complaints seriously. If you have a discrimination case, you cannot merely go and sue your employer. Before pursuing a legal case, talk to HR and submit a written complaint.
- Contact an employment discrimination lawyer. Winning a lawsuit against a top employer won’t be easy. You have to follow a few steps. The first is to file an administrative complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Before you do that, talk to an attorney and find more about how you can improve the case. Most employment discrimination lawyers will be happy to offer a free case evaluation.
If the concerned agency declines to act, you can then move to court to sue the employer, for which you will need the expertise of an employment discrimination lawyer. Also, your lawyer can advise on the steps that will help win the case once you receive the ‘Right to Sue’ Letter. You can find local attorneys in San Antonio through an online search. Don’t delay seeking legal advice and representation, as your lawyer must also do their share of investigation.