Experience Job Discrimination? Evidence You Need To Support Your Claim

In order to prove that your employer discriminated against you, you need to provide sufficient evidence to support your claim. If you’ve experienced job discrimination, you can either file with the federal EEOC or your state’s FEPA. Depending on the type of discrimination you suffered, you may have to file under FEPA.

What Is EEOC and FEPA?

EEOC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a government agency responsible for enforcing federal employment laws that make it illegal to discriminate again an employee or job applicant.

FEPA

State Fair Employment Protection Acts (FEPAs) are state and local agencies that enforce employment laws and usually offer greater protection to employees.

What Evidence Do You Need To Support Your Claim of Job Discrimination?

The best evidence you can have is direct evidence. If you have written notes, letters, or memos from your employer that show their discrimination against you, or if you have witnesses proving they made certain comments that discriminated against you, you may from a strong case. Direct evidence, such as these, however, is the hardest to obtain. Employers and managers are usually well-trained and know not to make these types of comments. It is more likely that you’ll have circumstantial evidence.

If that is the case, then you will want to find a notebook and start writing down the following notes:

You need to gather basic information about your workplace company and your employer. 

You’ll want to start making detailed notes of the discrimination you experienced. Record all the relevant dates, times, and circumstances. Make notes of who was there when you experienced job discrimination and what precisely occurred.

If you’re not sure if your employer discriminated against you, click here to check the EEOC’s website for the list of prohibited workplace behavior. 

Some of the prohibited types of discrimination listed include discrimination against you because of your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), age (Age Discrimination in Employment Act [ADEA]), or disability (Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).

You may have experienced more than one of these types of discrimination. If that is the case, record all the different types you experienced in as much detail as you can.

Find out if your coworkers are willing to support your claim. Write down their contact information and ask them if they would write down that they believe your employer discriminated against you and why with details. Have them sign their statement so that you can submit this information along with your EEOC or FEPA claim.

If you’re not sure if the information you have is sufficient evidence, speak to an experienced attorney for specific advice about your job discrimination claim.