What are some employment discrimination examples?

The subtle patterns people miss

Discrimination doesn't always look like a slur or a blunt firing. It can look like being passed over for a promotion you were clearly qualified for, quietly excluded from meetings your peers attend, hit with a sudden negative review right after you disclosed a pregnancy or disability, or paid less than a similarly situated coworker outside your protected group. None of that looks like the dramatic scenario most people picture when they hear the word discrimination, which is part of why so much of it goes unreported.

Two different legal theories

Most discrimination claims fall into one of two categories, and most people only think about the first:

• Disparate treatment — you were treated worse specifically because of a protected trait
• Disparate impact — a neutral-looking policy, like a strict attendance rule or a physical test, that ends up falling much harder on one protected group than others

Why the distinction matters

Which theory fits changes what actually counts as evidence: comments, comparisons to coworkers, and timing for the first; data on who a policy really affects in practice for the second. An attorney can help sort out which one, or both, fits your situation before you decide on next steps.