Q. What is job discrimination?

Q. What does being treated differently mean?

A. If you are "protected", being treated differently means you cannot be:

• fired, denied a job, pay increase or promotion;
• verbally or physically harassed, or
• otherwise treated differently

......because of your race, color, religion, etc.

Q. How do I know if what my employer does is actually illegal?

A. That depends on many things and is not always an easy question to answer. Things to think about include:

• Are you treated worse than employees who are not in your “protected” group? Were you disciplined in a harsher way than shown in the employee handbook? For example, you are Latina with no discipline problems at work and you were fired for a problem for which a white co-worker received only a warning.
• Has your supervisor or any other boss said things that suggest he/she is biased against people in a certain group? For example, he made offensive comments about you or people of your race, color, religion, age, etc.
• Has the boss made unwanted sexual jokes or remarks, or flirted or touched you without your consent?
• Do you have evidence you were treated unfairly? For example, you had good evaluations but were fired for poor performance yet a co-worker’s evaluations were not as good as yours and he was not fired.

Q: What can I do if I think I’m being discriminated against at my job?

A: Protect yourself:

• Try to find someone there who could help you. Speak to your union representative or try to find a supervisor you trust--even if is not your direct supervisor.
• Write down details of what happened: what the unfair treatment was, who did it, and when it happened. Ask for this statement to be put in your personnel file. 
• Get copies of any discipline given to you. You have the right to have someone with you if you are called into a meeting where you think you will be disciplined or fired. Keep copies of important letters or documents regarding the situation.

However, if you want to continue working for that employer, it’s easier to try and solve the problem while you are still working there. Don’t say bad things about your boss. (See our flyer: Tips on Keeping your Job).

Q: What if I am fired or unfairly disciplined?

A: If so, and you think it was discrimination, you have the right to file a complaint with the CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the “CHRO”. (Look in the blue pages of the phone book). You can file a complaint yourself but you may want to talk to a lawyer. You must file your complaint within 180 days of the latest act of discrimination, but it’s probably a good idea to file as soon as you can.