How to Respond to Illegal Workplace Discrimination and Illegal Retaliation in Maryland
Understanding Workplace Discrimination in Maryland
Maryland law, along with U.S. law under The 1964 Civil Rights Act and related federal laws, prohibits discrimination based on characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, and additional protected catagories. For instance, Maryland law prohibits marital status discrimination. The U.S. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects eligible employees against interference with and retaliation from exercising their FMLA rights. Of course, there is much more.
Understanding your rights and the legal protections available to you is the first step toward addressing the issue and seeking justice.
Within this context, obtaining your employee handbook, or union contract when applicable, can help alert you to some workplace rights as well as some workplace benefits available. Plus, if there are emails, letters, performance reviews, workplace awards, disciplinary documents. or even text messages that you deem evidence, or believe are important to show what happened, it is wise to save these items or somehow document these items.
Furthermore, you can consult with a lawyer as well as read Employee Rights in Maryland (Advantage Books 2021) by Gregg H. Mosson, Esq., which is a brief guide of general wide-lens information, writen for a general audience, and then consult with a lawyer to seek specific legal advice as well as up-to-date awareness of the law today.
Employee Rights in Maryland is available in Maryland libraries and for sale wherever books are sold.
Recognizing the Signs of Discrimination or Retalation
Discrimination at work isn’t always obvious. Sometimes, it’s subtle. Sometimes, people even mention their motive, and sometimes they do not.
Retaliation can occur when someone is demoted, fired, is deprived of income, or in addition, is deprived of significant identified employment opportunities such as identified career advancement and control of one's schedule, under the clarified "some injury" standard of Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri, Slip Op No. 22-193, 601 U.S. ___ (2024).
Steps to Take Immediately After Experiencing Discrimination, Retaliation, or Suspecting This Is a Problem
When you suspect workplace discrimination in Maryland, or illegal retaliation, your actions can include documenting on your own what is happening, obtaining or reviewing your employee handbook, finding out if your company has an "EEO" officer or hotline to make a complaint, considering consultation with an attorney, and considering if a Charge of Discrimination should be filed.
At Mosson Law, LLC, we offer remote legal consultations. For more on that, click here to see this article.
Understanding the Role of State and Federal Agencies
When you pursue a workplace discrimination or illegal retaliation claim in Maryland, you may interact with state and federal agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws. Many Maryland Counties and Baltimore City also have local civil rights investigation departments, but his shall not be covered here. The Maryland and U.S. agencies who investigate illegal discrimination and related illegal retaliation are as follows:
- Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR): The MCCR investigates complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations within Maryland. The agency can facilitate mediation, conduct investigations, and issue findings that may support your legal claim.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): The EEOC enforces federal anti-discrimination laws and handles complaints involving employers of a certain size or those covered by federal statutes. The agency may offer mediation, investigate complaints, and, in some rare instances, file lawsuits on behalf of employees.
For more about the Charge filing process, please click here and see this article.
Empowering You to Protect Your Rights
When you’re ready to take the next step in protecting your employee rights, having the right support makes all the difference.
With a focus on practical guidance, compassionate advocacy, and clear communication, as well as legal representation when needed, you can navigate the complexities of illegal workplace discrimination or illegal retaliation in Maryland with confidence.
Aside from employment law services, our areas of practice include family law and select civil litigation. The first step with Mosson Law, LLC, always is a legal consultation. Any representation shall only commence upon a mutually signed Legal Services Agreement, after a legal consultation has occurred.
If you’d like to learn more about our remote consultations, feel free to reach out to Mosson Law, LLC.
For more, contact us by clicking here.
Gregg H. Mosson, Esq.
Mosson Law, LLC
Gregg H. Mosson, Esq.
Mosson Law, LLC
www.mossonlaw.com