It is illegal to discriminate against workers based on a number of things, including race, sex and age. Unfortunately, this does not stop some employers in Rhode Island from doing so anyway. Some victims might not even realize that what their employers are doing is wrong, though. This could be because it is hard to identify workplace discrimination that falls outside of the more common associations.
For example, a number of people suffering from gastrointestinal disorders end up being penalized at work for something they have no control over. These workers may require special job accommodations, which they have a right to under the Americans with Disability Act. While discrimination based on GI disorders might seem rare, it is actually ranked 32 among the 50 most common forms of discrimination.
Vision impairment is another often overlooked form of discrimination. Unless a visual impairment truly prevents a worker from performing his or her job duties, federal law prohibits employers from hiring or firing workers based on visual status. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — EEOC — there are a lot of workplaces that still need to modify job training, testing and other programs to accommodate the visually impaired.
The Equality Act of 2020 helps protect people with bipolar disorder in the workplace. Despite this legal protection, the approximately 14 million people in America living with this mental illness are still at risk for discrimination. Indeed, they face higher rates of discrimination than those with GI disorders and visual impairments.
Although the law is supposed to protect workers from unfair treatment in the workplace, many employers still act as if those protections do not exist. Some workers in Rhode Island might not even realize they are protected. If someone is unsure whether his or her employer’s actions constitutes workplace discrimination, it may be a good idea to talk with a knowledgeable attorney about the situation.