Unlawful Employment Practices Under the Florida Civil Rights Act

Employees in Florida have a wide range of rights and protections against discrimination under certain federal laws, but there are also protections under state law. The Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) has a number of elements that are similar to, or even the same as, certain protections under federal law. At the same time, it is important to know that, unlike the federal laws that provide employee and job applicant protections, the FCRA is a single law under which a wide range of protections are held.

What, specifically, does the FCRA prohibit and how does it protect job applicants and employees in South Florida? Our Palm Beach Gardens employment law attorneys can explain in more detail below, and we can answer any specific questions you have today about your experience and the form of discrimination you might have been subject to in the workplace.

Unlawful Employment Practices Under the FCRA

The FCRA expressly states that the following are unlawful employment practices for an employer in Florida:

• To discharge or to fail or refuse to hire any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.
• To limit, segregate, or classify employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities, or adversely affect any individual’s status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.

In addition, the statute also makes clear that the above are unlawful practices for employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees. In other words, employment agencies and related entities or parties may also be held accountable for employment discrimination under the FCRA in some instances.

Retaliation is Unlawful

In addition to discrimination on any of the above identifying characteristics, the FCRA also clarifies that retaliation for engaging in protected activity, including filing a discrimination claim under the FCRA or participating in an investigation, is unlawful. The statue specifically states:

“It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer, an employment agency, a joint labor-management committee, or a labor organization to discriminate against any person because that person has opposed any practice which is an unlawful employment practice under this section, or because that person has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this section.”

Contact a Palm Beach Gardens Employment Discrimination Lawyer for Assistance with Your Case 

If you have experienced any type of employment discrimination as a job applicant or employee, or if you have faced any other behaviors or actions that are expressly identified as unlawful under the FCRA, it is important to seek legal advice. You may be able to move forward with a claim under Florida law, or in some cases, you may want to move forward with a federal charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. One of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens employment discrimination lawyers at Sconzo Law Office can learn more about the details of your case today and can help you to move forward with a claim.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0760/0760.html