What can I do about discrimination at work?
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What can I do about discrimination at work?
My company is providing paid vacations and I have been employed for 1. 5 years. I didn’t take a single day off, was working sick, made a lot of overtime and didn’t request for vacations. Recently, I bought a house and needed to take some time off to settle it down. I requested 2 weeks of vacation but my direct supervisor, in front of other employees, said that 2 weeks of vacation were unacceptable as it is too hard for the department. However, other co-workers from my department have taken 2 weeks of vacation in the last year. We discussed it with him and agreed that I will take off every Friday as vacation time to get my personal business done. However, now I found out that he approved another employee for a 2 weeks vacation in 2 months. I see pure discrimination here. What are my chances to win?
Asked on October 24, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Maryland
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Actionable discrimination in the workplace has to do with a person's inclusion in a "protected class". In other words, they must be treated differently than others based on their race, religion, nationality, age (over 40), disability, gender, etc. Otherwise, giving co-workers more favorable treatment is legal. The fact so that employees need not be treted the same or even fairly (absent the aforementioned discrimination). Therefore, unless this action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreemnt, it is legal.
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Actionable discrimination in the workplace has to do with a person's inclusion in a "protected class". In other words, they must be treated differently than others based on their race, religion, nationality, age (over 40), disability, gender, etc. Otherwise, giving co-workers more favorable treatment is legal. The fact so that employees need not be treted the same or even fairly (absent the aforementioned discrimination). Therefore, unless this action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreemnt, it is legal.
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