Am I able to sue company for discrimination?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I able to sue company for discrimination?
Recently my company has cut back on hours due to slowdown in business. They divided the workers up to three groups to take turns working during the week. I have found out that instead of scheduling the whole group to work each turn they are picking certain people from each group to work. I asked my supervisor why they are not scheduling me but letting the others in my group work. His response was “I don’t like you, that’s why I don’t want to schedule you.” What can I do? Is this considered discrimination?
Asked on July 2, 2009 under Employment Labor Law, Texas
Answers:
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
It doesn't sound like illegal discrimination, since you haven't indicated that they are picking people by race, religion or anything like that. If you don't have a written employment contract, and your company doesn't have an employee handbook that covers this in a way that can be used as a contract against them (and this is very rare), you're an employee "at will." That means that no reason at all is needed to fire you or cut your hours, and "I don't like you" is a legally acceptable reason.
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
It doesn't sound like illegal discrimination, since you haven't indicated that they are picking people by race, religion or anything like that. If you don't have a written employment contract, and your company doesn't have an employee handbook that covers this in a way that can be used as a contract against them (and this is very rare), you're an employee "at will." That means that no reason at all is needed to fire you or cut your hours, and "I don't like you" is a legally acceptable reason.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.