There are state and federal laws in place to protect disabled workers in California. These laws make it illegal for an employer to discriminate against a worker or candidate who has the skills to perform a job if reasonable accommodations are provided.
While this is true, and employers may state they are equal opportunity employers, they don’t always demonstrate this. Knowing if you are the victim of disability discrimination is a must if you want to protect your rights.
Unfortunately, some signs of discrimination are more subtle than others. These include:
You’re suddenly being targeted for small issues
Ever since you told your employer about your disability, does it feel like you are suddenly being targeted by your manager or employer? Are you being written up for small things that didn’t seem to matter in the past? Are your co-workers able to get away with the same infractions without any punishment?
If so, it may be because even though your employer stated they would provide reasonable accommodations for your needs, when it comes down to doing it, they don’t really want to make the effort. This may result in them trying to get rid of you with these disciplinary measures.
Your employer refuses to provide reasonable accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are necessary to ensure disabled workers can do their job. Things like elevators and wheelchair ramps are reasonable accommodations for those who can’t use stairs. Another option would be offering remote work options.
If your employer refuses any type of reasonable accommodation, it may be considered discrimination.
Protecting your rights at work
Most employers are aware of discrimination tactics that will get them in trouble, which is why they use more subtle techniques that will cause the worker to leave or give them another reason to let them go. If you believe you have been a victim of some type of disability discrimination, you have rights you should explore.