Discrimination is certainly illegal in the workplace, but it is not an uncommon practice in some places of employment. Last month, three women filed a lawsuit against San Diego Reader claiming that they were discriminated against because of their gender and as a result, they were sexually harassed by other employees and later fired from their jobs at the Reader.
The three women who filed the lawsuit citing gender discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination had a combined work history of nearly 80 years at the Reader. The women, who were formerly sale representatives at the company, claim that the company’s publisher had fostered an environment that favored men, but the discrimination against the women in workplace worsened after a new sales manager was hired in 2008.
The lawsuit states that the new sales manager told the women that sales was a “man’s world.” The manager is also accused of withholding promotions from women and favoring men when assigning accounts.
In August 2009, one of the sales representatives said that she could no longer handle working in the environment. Because the company did not have a Human Resources department that she felt comfortable filing a complaint of discrimination and harassment with, she chose to resign from her job. One of the sales representatives who had been there for 16 years was fired in March 2011. The third woman involved with filing the lawsuit said that she was fired while she was on leave for “work-related stress.”
A victim of discrimination may certainly suffer emotionally from not being respected and treated equally in the workplace, but discrimination can also prevent an individual from being able to take advantage of wonderful opportunities that could further one’s career.
Individuals who believe that they are working in a hostile environment may want to consider speaking with an attorney in order to ensure that they are not being denied opportunities as a result of discrimination that could otherwise further their success in the workplace.
Source: San Diego CityBEAT, “Former employees accuse San Diego Reader of gender discrimination,” Dave Maass, Nov. 8, 2011