Alabama (AL) Sexual Discrimination Law in the Workplace

August 21st, 2006 Posted by Hannah

While researching the Alabama sexual discrimination law in the workplace, I found that they do not have these types of laws separate from the federal laws. This means several things for Alabama employers and workers.

First of all, employers must follow the Equal Pay Act which states that men and women who have equal positions in terms of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions cannot be discriminated against in terms of pay and benefits. Secondly, employers cannot discriminate in the form of sexual harassment which includes workplace -conditions that can be deemed hostile for people of either gender. Pregnancy-based discrimination also falls under this federal law: pregnancy and its related conditions must be treated like any illness or other condition. All in all, it’s illegal for employers in Alabama to discriminate against anyone in any aspect of employment.

The Alabama department of labor clearly states that federal law covers issues with sexual discrimination in the workplace and that all complaints and concerns are handled through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Birmingham – all complaints except those falling under the Equal Pay Act must first go through the EEOC before being filed in court. You can file the complaint yourself or you can have someone file on your behalf to protect your identity.

If your company has more than 15 employees, you can file a claim by providing your contact information and your employer’s contact information and its number of employees in addition to your complaint and the date of the alleged act. Remember that all claims must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act.

If your complaint falls under the Equal Pay Act, you can file directly with the courts; you’ll want to consult a lawyer to help you sort through your options. Either way, though, it’s important to act quickly so that you don’t miss your timeframe for filing a complaint.
Both employees and employers are responsible for keeping the workplace a safe place to be.

Employers can protect themselves by keeping notes of all decisions reasons for those decisions concerning employees and employees need to know their rights. It is also recommended to continually update your Alabama Complete Labor Labor Law poster with the most recent labor law changes regarding sexual discrimination.

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