When Can Workers in Maryland Sue for Discrimination?

Discrimination is an issue in workplaces across Maryland. Countless employees experience discrimination on the job every single day—and, unfortunately, only a small percentage of these employees take legal action. If you are a victim, it is up to you to protect yourself, and the first step is to speak with a Maryland employment attorney who can help you.

Why is it important to speak with a Maryland employment attorney? Because understanding your legal rights is complicated. Different employees have different options in different circumstances. An experienced attorney will be able to help you understand your legal rights and will be able to take appropriate legal action on your behalf if warranted.

3 Key Questions for Determining Your Legal Rights

When it comes to determining your legal rights as a victim of employment discrimination in Maryland, there are three key questions you need to answer. These questions are:

1. What Type of Discrimination Have You Experienced?

Several laws prohibit discrimination in Maryland workplaces. However, all of these laws prohibit different types of discrimination, and the law (or laws) that protect you will determine both what type of complaint you need to file and where you need to file it.

Broadly speaking, federal and Maryland anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on:

• Age
• Ancestry, Genetic Information and National Origin
• Disability
• Marital Status and Pregnancy
• Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
• Religion
• Race and Color

Depending on the type of discrimination you have experienced, you could have a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Equal Pay Act, the CROWN Act, or a variety of other federal or state laws. An experienced Maryland employment attorney can determine which of these laws protect you (if any) based on what you have experienced at work.

2. How Many Employees Does Your Company Have?

While some anti-discrimination statutes apply to all employers regardless of size (like the Equal Pay Act), others only apply to employers with 15 or more—and, in some cases, 20 or more—employees. As a result, your employer’s size is an important factor for determining your legal rights as well.

For many employees, answering this question will be fairly straightforward. If you work for a small company, you may know all of your co-workers personally. Or, if you work for a large company that has thousands of employees, this is all the information you need—just knowing that it has more than 15 or 20 employees is enough.

But, in other cases, determining which anti-discrimination statutes protect you can be more complicated. For example, if your company has around 15 to 20 employees, or if it employs a lot of part-time or seasonal workers, understanding your legal rights can be more challenging. But, there are clear guidelines for determining when anti-discrimination statutes apply, and your Maryland employment attorney can assist with applying these guidelines in your case if necessary.

3. How Long Has It Been Since the Discriminatory Act?

The third key issue for determining your legal rights is how long it has been since you experienced discrimination in the workplace. This is because strict deadlines apply. While specific deadlines vary, all of the federal and Maryland anti-discrimination laws place outer limits on how long employees have to file claims for remedies.

If you still have time to file, you will want to take action right away. This is true even if you still have plenty of time before your discrimination claim expires. Why? Because waiting can make it more difficult to assert your legal rights successfully.

With this in mind, what should you do if you think you may have a discrimination claim in Maryland? Your first step is to speak with a Maryland employment attorney—and you will want to schedule a confidential consultation as soon as possible. Your attorney will be able to determine if you are eligible to file a claim, assist with preserving all available evidence, and help you make informed and confident decisions focused on securing the outcome you deserve.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation with a Maryland Employment Attorney Today

Do you have questions about filing a discrimination claim in Maryland? If so, we invite you to get in touch. To schedule a confidential consultation with a Maryland employment attorney at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, please call 410-514-6099 or tell us how we can reach you online today.