Types of Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace

Even in this day and age, gender discrimination still occurs in the federal workplace. Some women face prejudice at their jobs simply because of their gender. If you believe that you’re experiencing gender discrimination at your federal job, you shouldn’t hesitate to take legal action. It’s illegal to be discriminated against at work because of your gender and you don’t have to put up with that kind of treatment.

Here are the common types of gender discrimination in the federal workplace.

Unequal Pay

One of the most common ways women may experience discrimination in the workplace is through unequal pay. If you know that you’re being paid less than your male coworkers but have just as much or more education and experience as them, you may be getting discriminated against.

Sexual Harassment 

Believe it or not, women still face sexual harassment in the federal workplace. Sexual harassment may include sexual comments, inappropriate touching, repeated requests for dates, and written communications that are sexual in nature. If you’ve experienced any form of sexual harassment in the workplace, it can make it incredibly difficult to go to work every day.

Interview Questions

Women can also be discriminated against for their gender during the interview process. In many cases, asking women questions like, “Do you have any children?” or, “Do you want to have children in the future?” are illegal during the interview process. They have nothing to do with her skills and experience.

Limited Promotion Opportunities

If they have similar experience and education levels, women should receive the same promotion opportunities that men do in the federal workplace. Unfortunately, in some federal workplaces, women receive far fewer promotion opportunities than men. If you have the right skills and performance at work, it can hurt when you’re passed up for promotion opportunities.

Termination
Employers can terminate their employees for many different reasons. However, federal law prohibits employers from terminating employees based on their gender alone. For example, an employer shouldn’t fire a female employee for asking to be treated equally in the workplace or reporting instances of sexual harassment.

Are You Experiencing Gender Discrimination?

If you believe that you’re being discriminated against at your federal job because of your gender, you may feel a loss of what to do. It can be very upsetting to go into work every day when you’re facing discrimination. However, you do have legal options. If you can prove that you’re being discriminated against because of your gender, you may have a viable lawsuit. An experienced federal employment lawyer can advise you the best way to proceed.If you’re considering filing a discrimination claim against your federal employer, contact a lawyer, like a employment itigation lawyer Washington, DC from Eric Siegel Law, today.