In a fair world, people would be able to go to work, perform their jobs and receive proper compensation for their services. Unfortunately, too much of the world is unfair, and many people across the country face discrimination in the workplace that results in their receiving less pay than co-workers who perform the same jobs. Often, these discriminatory actions are based on workers’ race, ethnicity, sex or other characteristics.
It was recently reported that one woman in Washington, D.C. has filed a lawsuit against Amazon for discriminatory compensation and other actions. According to reports, the employee, who is Black, stated that she and other Black employees faced the following discriminatory actions:
- They were paid less for their work than white workers in the same positions.
- The employee and other Black applicants were hired for positions below their qualifications, despite applying for higher level positions.
- She was required to perform duties that were associated with a higher-level position but was not provided a promotion or higher pay.
The woman stated that she worked in a lower position for three years before she was promoted, despite already having the qualifications and doing the work of the higher position. It was noted that she will continue to work for the company in hopes of bringing about change internally. Amazon is reportedly investigating the claims and stated that the company does not tolerate discrimination.
In many cases of workplace discrimination, taking legal action is the most significant way to work toward change. It is an unfortunate reality that many illegal behaviors are allowed to continue in the workplace until employees come forward with lawsuits such as this one. If other workers in Washington, D.C. believe that they have faced illegal treatment on the job, they may want to look into their legal options.
