NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION

     National origin discrimination involves treating people (applicants or employees) unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be of a certain ethnic background (even if they are not).
     National origin discrimination also can involve treating people unfavorably because they are married to (or associated with) a person of a certain national origin or because of their connection with an ethnic organization or group.
     Discrimination can occur when the victim and the person who inflicted the discrimination are the same national origin.

     Consult With a Lawyer

     If you have been subjected to national origin discrimination in employment or have been accused of national origin discrimination in employment, you can call the Law Office of Jerold S. Slate at (845) 471-4141 to schedule a personal and confidential consultation.

     National Origin Discrimination & Work Situations

     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.

     National Origin & Harassment

     It is unlawful to harass a person because of his or her national origin. Harassment can include, for example, offensive or derogatory remarks about a person’s national origin, accent or ethnicity. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).
     The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.

     National Origin & Employment Policies/Practices

     The law makes it illegal for an employer or other covered entity to use an employment policy or practice that applies to everyone, regardless of national origin, if it has a negative impact on people of a certain national origin and is not job-related or necessary to the operation of the business.
     An employer can only require an employee to speak fluent English if fluency in English is necessary to perform the job effectively. An “English-only rule”, which requires employees to speak only English on the job, is only allowed if it is needed to ensure the safe or efficient operation of the employer’s business and is put in place for nondiscriminatory reasons.
     An employer may not base an employment decision on an employee’s foreign accent, unless the accent seriously interferes with the employee’s job performance.


    National Origin Discrimination