Most of our readers in North Carolina probably know that discrimination in the workplace is a violation of federal law. Discrimination can come in many forms—it could be based on gender, race, religion, national origin or even a disability, for example. However, what some people may not know is that discrimination by employers is also illegal when it occurs during the employee recruitment or hiring process.
So, have you faced discrimination when applying for a job in North Carolina? Sometimes, it can be hard to tell. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there are a number of ways in which a potential employer might discriminate against potential employees.
For instance, if an advertisement for a job specifically states that it is looking for particular people based on a certain category—like stating “those over the age of 40 need not apply”—that could be the basis for a discrimination claim. Or, if an employer actively recruits from a certain segment of the population, such as Hispanics only, for example, that might also be a form of discrimination in the hiring process.
Most people probably expect discrimination from employers in this area to occur at one specific stage: the interview process. That is when potential employers get to take a look at potential employees, in person. If a potential employee excels at other stages of the hiring process, like phone interviews, for example, and then a job offer doesn’t materialize after an in-person interview, that may be a situation to look into.
Discrimination is illegal
At our law firm, we do our best to help North Carolina residents who have faced discrimination in the hiring process. For more information, please visit the employment discrimination overview section of our law firm’s website.