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Your Success | Our Goal
Under state and federal law, gender discrimination is prohibited in the workplace. In 1963, Congress enacted the Federal Equal Pay Act to guarantee equal pay for equal work among men and women. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides much broader protection by prohibiting all types of gender discrimination. In addition to unequal pay, unlawful discrimination under Title VII may include:
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII in 1978 to guarantee equal benefits to pregnant women. Under M.G.L. c. 151B and its own version of the Equal Pay Act, Massachusetts provides a similar range of protections to employees who suffer discrimination based on gender.
Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employers are required to grant employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the birth and care of a newborn child. The same rights apply to employees who adopt. Upon return from FMLA leave, the employer is required to restore the employee in the same position. Where the same position is unavailable, the employer must provide the worker with a position that is substantially equal in pay, benefits, and responsibility.
Gender Discrimination: Facts & FiguresResearch indicates that, by conservative estimates, between 10% and 25% of America's 40 million working women suffer some form of job discrimination every decade. Research also suggests that as little as 5% of the women who experience discrimination take legal action. In a recent poll conducted by The Wage Project, more than half of female employees who believed they had been treated differently based on gender reported taking no action due to fear of retaliation. Under both federal and state law, retaliation for reporting disparate treatment based on gender is illegal.
Weighing Your OptionsGender discrimination can take on many forms, some more obvious than others. Certain traits that are perceived as positive in men may be perceived negatively in women, and women may face obstacles in advancement that men do not encounter. A woman who is better qualified may lose a position to her male counterpart.
Conforto Law Group represents individuals in Greater Boston and throughout Massachusetts who have been subjected to adverse employment actions and unfair treatment based on gender. We pride ourselves in aggressively advocating the interests of our clients. To arrange a consultation with an attorney, contact Conforto Law Group online or at (617) 721-9139.
Your Success is Our Goal. Let us help. |
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