Employees who have worked for companies for an extended period of time often expect that their dedication will be rewarded. This could be in the form of a raise, promotion or another means that would honor the employee’s commitment to his or her work with improvements to his or her overall career. There are times when employees are passed over for these benefits, and the reasoning is sometimes unjustifiable. One Texas woman alleged gender discrimination on the part of the city she worked for when — as she claims– she was passed over for a new job in favor of a male candidate.
According to the woman, she’d worked off-and-on for her city for around two decades. When another employee decided to retire, the woman served as the temporary replacement after the person who’d previously held the position twice recommended her. The woman was not given the position and it instead went to a male employee. The woman claims that the male employee has significantly less experience than she does. She also says that his salary was raised higher than hers, despite her working for the city for almost 10 years longer than he apparently had.
The city secretary allegedly said that she specifically wanted more men working in the division. The woman at the center of this case was also ordered to train the male employee and had a raise that she’d been given as the temporary employee revoked. She complained to the city and claimed it had discriminated against her based on her gender in violation of the Texas Human Rights Commission Act and the federal Civil Rights Act. Eventually, she was promoted to the position, but she says she is paid less than the male employee had been given.
Employees who find themselves in a similar position may choose to file a discrimination lawsuit against their employer. Doing so could result in financial remuneration that compares to the grievance of their specific situation. They are within their rights to explore options that will benefit their employment situation long-term.
Source: themonitor.com, “McAllen $42K job tied to discrimination complaint“, Karen Antonacci, Aug. 10, 2014