5 Common Manifestations of Illegal Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Gender discrimination in the workplace is illegal, and occurrences are more regular than you may think. In fact, some forms of gender discrimination are so subtle that you may not even realize that you’ve been discriminated against. The Pew Research Center released the statistics on gender discrimination in the United States back in December 2017. Here are five common ways that you may experience or be experiencing gender discrimination in the workplace.
Position Bias
Unfortunate as it may be, there still exists a cultural belief that some genders are better in certain jobs than others. For example, a woman might seem like a better fit as a secretary or nurse than a man. Likewise, a man might seem like a better fit as a boss or doctor than a woman.
We all know this cultural bias exists, and it’s important to realize that position bias truly impacts both genders. Everyone is legally allowed the right to work in their chosen career field.
Interview Questions
If you’re in an interview and you are asked questions about whether you plan on having kids and raising a family, that’s a form of gender discrimination. Even though both males and females can parent evenly, it’s often the maternity leave time and additional insurance expenses that perpetuate this line of questioning. No matter what the motive, even if it seems like small talk, these kinds of questions are illegal.
Pay and Benefits
It has been studied and documented that women in many industries receive less pay and benefits than their male counterparts. Even from the beginning, many women are offered reduced, “low-ball” packages because it’s less likely for a woman to counter-offer than a man. When the woman starts at a lower wage, it’s less likely that she’ll ever make the same amount as her male counterparts.
Promotions
If two people start at different wages and both receive the same percentage of bonus or raise, the one who starts with the higher wage will receive a larger raise. This steadily increases the pay gap between the two individuals. So, naturally, if you start at a lower wage than your peers, you’re going to struggle to make the same amount of money as they do.
Also, unfortunately, women can be less assertive about asking for/demanding promotions or raises. Men tend to have more tenacity about requesting and receiving promotions and raises.
Terminations
Unfortunately, if you’re a woman working in a very male-dominated field, you are more likely to be terminated than your male counterpart.
Plus, it’s possible that if you are sexually harassed and your bosses don’t handle your claim seriously, they may choose to solve the problem by getting rid of you instead of the person who sexually harassed you. This is a sad reality for women working in male-dominated fields. This is why we encourage you to come see us right away to see if you suspect you’ve been a victim of workplace gender discrimination.
What Should I Do?
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.”
If you believe you have been discriminated against, you need to take action right away. Start by calling a reliable and experienced New York employment law firm like Crumiller P.C. Call (212) 390-8480 today to find out more about how we can help you achieve justice.