National Origin Discrimination

Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyers

Employment discrimination on the basis of an individual's national origin is prohibited under Federal and State law. While national origin is protected, citizenship however, is not.
The Law Office of Pelayo Duran has a team of highly experienced employment discrimination attorneys dedicated to helping you to enforce your rights under Florida state and federal discrimination laws.

What is National Origin Discrimination?

The term national origin broadly refers to a person’s country of birth or where his or her ancestry originates, this includes any display of the physical and cultural traits of a particular national group. So in effect, national origin generally refers to a person’s "ancestry". National origin discrimination in employment occurs when an employer discriminates against an employee on the basis of the employee’s national origin, or ancestry.

What constitutes National Origin Discrimination in Florida?

There are many acts by an employer which constitute national origin discrimination. Some of these are listed below:
- Not hiring a person who is of a different race, color, religion, or national origin
- Passing over an employee for a promotion in favor of somebody whose race, color, religion, or national origin is the same as the employer
- Disciplining employees differently according to their race, color, religion, or national origin
- Referring to people of a particular race, color, religion or national origin using collective terms which may be insulting or disparaging
- Demanding that employees comply with ‘ English Only Rules’ within the workplace
- Harassing an employee for taking leave to observe a religious holiday that is not recognized by the employer

There are also some things which constitute national origin discrimination even though they are perpetrated upon a person who is NOT of the origin toward which the discrimination is aimed. For example:
- If an employer discriminates against an employee based upon a belief that they are of a particular nationality even when they are not. Even though the employee is not of that nationality, the employer’s action constitutes national origin discrimination.
- If an employer discriminates against an employee who associates with an identifiable national group, even though the employee may not actually be a member of that group.

What will happen if I win my National Origin Discrimination case?

If you have a valid claim for national origin discrimination and your claim is upheld by the court, you may be entitled to: Back pay; Reinstatement or payment for lost wages known as “Front-pay” ; Injunctive relief; Reimbursement of money paid as lawyer fees and court costs; Money paid for pain and suffering , referred to as compensatory damages; and money awarded as a punishment for the employer’s discriminatory acts, referred to as punitive damages.

The Law Office of Pelayo Duran is dedicated to representing employees in claims against their employer under state and federal employment discrimination laws. Our trial lawyers can assist you if you believe that your employer has committed an act of national origin discrimination.

Whether your case requires trial, arbitration or appeal, our Miami employment discrimination attorneys have the experience to assess your claim, advise on the best course of action, and to represent you throughout the process. We have represented employees in state and federal court and we are prepared to aggressively pursue the your rights, whether as an individual or a member of a class action lawsuit.

If you feel that you have been discriminated against because of your nationality, ancestry, religion, foreign accent or the color of your skin, contact the Law Office of Pelayo Duran and arrange to speak to a qualified national origin discrimination attorney at no cost.