Being treated unfavorably at work because of your national origin is unlawful. This type of discrimination can happen during hiring, promotion, job training and dismissal. It’s also commonly reported in pay, employee benefits, terms and conditions, classification and referral.
So, can you tell if your employer or a colleague is discriminating against you based on your national origin?
Here are two practices that can be considered discriminatory:
Offensive or derogatory remarks
You should be concerned if your seniors or coworkers are making offensive or derogatory remarks about your national origin, accent or ethnicity.
Simple teasing and offhand comments may not be considered discriminatory. However, when the comments are frequent or severe, creating a hostile work environment or resulting in an adverse employment decision, such as being demoted or dismissed, you may have experienced discrimination.
Policies that disproportionately affect people of a particular national origin
It’s unlawful for an employer to introduce policies that apply to everyone but disproportionately affect people of a particular national origin. A good example is the English-only rule.
An employer may only require employees to speak English if the limitation is job-related and based upon business necessity. Further, requiring employees to speak fluent English may be allowed if fluency in English is necessary to perform the job effectively.
Employers are also prohibited from treating employees unfavorably because of a foreign accent. An employer may only make an adverse employment decision solely based on accent if an employee’s accent seriously interferes with their job performance.
National origin discrimination in the workplace results in many people missing out on valuable opportunities and experiences. If you believe you have experienced this form of discrimination, learn more about the circumstances surrounding your case to determine the next suitable steps.