Federal and state laws protect employees from workplace discrimination, including discrimination based on national origin. Employees in Bergen County, NJ are protected from discrimination based on their national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, or perceived ethnic background. Castronovo & McKinney, LLC represents workers whose employers have violated these protections. If you have experienced national origin discrimination, our attorneys can evaluate your case, protect your rights, and pursue the compensation you deserve.
How the Law Protects You From National Origin Discrimination
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) prohibit employers from discriminating based on national origin in any aspect of employment, including hiring, pay, promotions, job assignments, training, discipline, and termination. These laws also prohibit harassment based on national origin, ethnicity, or ancestry when it creates a hostile work environment. If your employer has violated these laws, Castronovo & McKinney, LLC can help you pursue legal action.
Types of National Origin Discrimination
Country or Place of Origin: Employers cannot make employment decisions based on where you or your ancestors were born, including countries, territories, refugee status, or regions that may not be internationally recognized.
National Origin Group: Federal and New Jersey law prohibit discrimination against individuals who share a common ancestry, language, culture, or ethnic characteristics.
Perceived Ethnicity: Employers cannot discriminate based on assumptions or stereotypes about a person’s ethnicity or national origin, even if those assumptions are incorrect.
Association With Others: It is illegal to discriminate against an employee because they are married to, related to, or associated with someone of a particular national origin or ethnicity.
Examples of National Origin Discrimination
National origin discrimination can take many forms, including:
- Refusing to hire qualified applicants because of their accent or perceived national origin.
- Making offensive remarks, jokes, or derogatory comments about an employee’s country of origin or ethnicity.
- Enforcing English-only workplace policies without a legitimate business necessity.
- Requiring only certain employees to provide additional work authorization or immigration documents.
- Excluding employees from customer-facing roles, promotions, or advancement opportunities because of their accent or perceived cultural background.
- Claiming an employee is “not a cultural fit” as a pretext for discriminatory treatment.
Some discriminatory practices are disguised as neutral workplace policies. For example, English-only rules are only lawful when they are necessary for business operations. When these policies disproportionately target employees because of their national origin or ethnicity without a valid business justification, they may violate federal and New Jersey law.
How Castronovo & McKinney Can Help
Castronovo & McKinney, LLC represents employees throughout Bergen County, NJ who have experienced national origin discrimination. Our attorneys will:
- Conduct a detailed investigation of your claims.
- Interview coworkers, supervisors, and other witnesses.
- Gather personnel files, performance reviews, emails, text messages, and other evidence.
- Determine whether your employer has engaged in a pattern of discriminatory conduct.
- Handle all communications and negotiations with your employer and their legal counsel.
Whenever possible, we seek favorable settlements through negotiation. If necessary, we are prepared to file a lawsuit and aggressively represent your interests in court.
Damages You Can Recover
If your claim is successful, you may be entitled to recover compensation for:
- Back pay and lost wages.
- Front pay for future lost earnings.
- Lost employment benefits, including health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid leave.
- Compensation for emotional distress and other non-economic damages.
- Attorney’s fees and court costs.
Depending on the circumstances, the court may also require your employer to revise discriminatory workplace policies, provide anti-discrimination training, or implement other corrective measures.
If you have experienced workplace discrimination based on your national origin, ethnicity, or ancestry, do not wait to protect your rights. Contact Castronovo & McKinney, LLC to discuss your case with an experienced Bergen County, NJ national origin discrimination attorney.
