Employment Discrimination generally occurs when an employee is subjected to less favorable terms or conditions of employment than similarly situated employees outside of their protected class who are treated more favorably. Employment discrimination typically affects the terms and conditions of employment and can take many different forms, including but not limited to the following:
- Discriminatory firings
- Demotions
- Unequal Job Assignments
- Unequal Pay
- Failure to Hire
- Failure to Promote
- Other Adverse Employment Actions
Wrongful Termination
A Form of Employment Discrimination
Wrongful Termination is a term that is commonly misunderstood. People often use the phrase wrongful termination to convey a general disagreement with their employer’s rationale for terminating the employment relationship. However, in the State of Georgia, a wrongful termination only exists under certain circumstances– one such circumstance is when an employee’s termination is discriminatory in nature.
In the State of Georgia, a wrongful termination generally occurs where an employee has been terminated for unlawful reasons. An example of an unlawful reason is when an individual is terminated for unlawful discriminatory reasons, i.e. because of his or her race, color, gender, national origin, or religion. Other unlawful discriminatory reasons include terminations that occur on the basis of one’s age, disability, or status as a pregnant worker. A wrongful termination can also be said to have occurred where an employee is terminated in retaliation for having engaged in protected activity or in reprisal for having voiced opposition to unlawful discrimination or harassment.