Carroll & McDonald, Attorneys at Law
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1-877-878-5914 | E-Mail
In Wisconsin it is illegal for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of Age, Race/Color, Creed, Disability, Marital Status, Sex, National Origin, Ancestry, Sexual Orientation, Arrest Record, Conviction Record, Military Status, and for Use or Nonuse of Lawful Products.
CREED
The term "Creed" means a system of religious beliefs, including moral or ethical beliefs about right and wrong, that are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.
Just like other forms of discrimination, with certain exceptions, employers are not allowed to refuse to hire, suspend, terminate or discriminate in the terms and conditions of employment, compensation, promotion on the basis of creed. Additionally, in most circumstances, employers must provide reasonable accommodations for employees' religious beliefs.
MARITAL STATUS
Married people are often more expensive to employ than singles. However, married people are generally more likely to need stability and are not likely to move from job to job. In Wisconsin, employers may not discriminate on the basis of Marital Status. However, employers may initiate rules prohibiting spouses from supervising each other.
NATIONAL ORIGIN/ANCESTRY
One's national origin is something that can be clearly established. Employers may not discriminate individuals based upon the Country in which they were born. However, many people born in the United States, identify with a part of their ethnic background.
The prohibition on Ancestry discrimination protects individuals from being discriminated against on the basis of their ethnic background. Generally, Ancestry Discrimination refers to the country, nation, tribe or other identifiable population from which one's forebears came or to which they belonged. Ancestry is not a matter of membership in a particular family or of having a particular person as a family member
USE OR NON-USE OF LAWFUL PRODUCTS
Recently there has been considerable positive media attention given to employers who refuse to hire smokers. In Wisconsin, those employers are in violation of the law. While an employer can prohibit an employee's use of lawful products such as cigarettes during working hours or on company property, it cannot prohibit an employee from using or not using lawful products off of the employer's premises during non-working hours except in a few special cases.
MILITARY STATUS
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), prohibits discrimination against persons because of their service in the Armed Forces Reserve, the National Guard, or other uniformed services. USERRA prohibits an employer from denying any benefit of employment on the basis of an individual's membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services. USERRA also protects the right of veterans, reservists, National Guard members, and certain other members of the uniformed services to reclaim their civilian employment after being absent due to military service or training.
The Wisconsin Fair Employment Act contains similar protections for those in any military service.
Contact Carroll & McDonald, Attorneys at Law
If you believe you have been the victim of unlawful sexual harassment contact our office for immediate and practical legal advice. In the initial consultation, we will conduct a detailed interview to find out exactly what happened and how we might be able to help. We will ask you detailed questions about the facts of your case, discuss your particular goals and discuss the legal options available to you to meet those goals.
To schedule an appointment, contact our office today. Call toll-free to 1-877-878-5914, or send us an e-mail for a prompt response.
