Q&A

Do employees have any rights in PA?

Do employees have any rights in PA?

Pennsylvania employee rights include the right not to be discriminated against or harassed at work for your sex, race, religion, national origin, disability, or age if you are over forty. Discrimination against pregnant women is considered sex discrimination according to PA employee rights.

Can you sue your employer in PA for discrimination?

Employment at-will is still the rule in Pennsylvania. An employee can only file a lawsuit for wrongful termination if it was for a discriminatory reason.

What constitutes a hostile work environment in PA?

Hostile work environment examples include discriminatory, harassing, and unwelcome actions. This can include: Sexual comments and advances. Racial or religious jokes or comments. Using slurs or insensitive terms.

What makes it illegal to discriminate in employment in PA?

For employment discrimination to be illegal in PA, it must be based on someone’s race; color; sex; age (over 40); ancestry; national origin; religious creed; having a GED rather than a high school diploma; handicap or disability, or the use of a guide or support animal for disability, or relationship to a person with a disability.

What kind of discrimination happens in the workplace?

Employment discrimination happens when an employee or job applicant is treated unfavorably because of his or her race, skin color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, or age.

Is it illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee?

Under United States laws, companies are prohibited to subject employees to unfair treatment or blatant discrimination based on these legally protected characteristics. Also, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against a person who has filed a complaint about discrimination or participated in an investigation.

Is it illegal to discriminate against pregnant women in the workplace?

Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace. Pregnancy-based discrimination is illegal. Employers are required to handle pregnancy in the same way that they would handle a temporary illness or other non-permanent condition that would necessitate special consideration.

What do you need to know about discrimination in PA?

PA law prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, age (40 and over), sex, ancestry, national origin, religion, familial status (housing only), disability and the use of guide or support animals for disability. Handling and training of guide or support animals for disability are also protected in public accommodations and housing.

What does the term employer mean in PA?

The term “employer” with respect to discriminatory practices based on race, color, age, sex, national origin or non-job related handicap or disability, includes religious, fraternal, charitable and sectarian corporations and associations employing four or more persons within the Commonwealth.

When does employment discrimination happen in the workplace?

Employment Discrimination. Employment discrimination happens in the job recruiting or hiring process or in the workplace. It happens when employment decisions such as hiring, layoffs, pay or other work terms or conditions are based on factors other than qualifications or job performance.

What is the Human Relations Act of Pennsylvania?

Commonwealth Law. Pennsylvania Human Relations Act: prohibits certain practices of discrimination in employment, education, public accommodations, housing and commercial properties because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, disability, use of guide or support animals (because of the blindness,…