People in New York might recognize Tesla as a company pursuing the advancement of electric cars, but a string of lawsuits reveals workplaces riddled with alleged discrimination. A new class-action lawsuit claims that racial discrimination was pervasive at a West Coast factory.
The former employee behind the legal complaint described a work environment where co-workers and supervisors referred to him by the offensive n-word. He said that his complaint to the human resources department resulted in his job termination. The employer reportedly cited his bad attitude as the reason for his dismissal.
Court filings asserted that racial discrimination was routinely practiced at the factory without any regards for civil rights law. The lawsuit quoted from an email written by the head of the company, Elon Musk, which addressed allegations of racial discrimination at the factory. The message advised workers to accept apologies from co-workers or supervisors who offended them. Other lawsuits targeting Tesla have accused the company of gender discrimination, age discrimination, wrongful terminations and harassment of LGBTQ people.
Laws designed to prevent employment discrimination prohibit employers from denying jobs to people or mistreating workers on the basis of sex, race, age, national origin, religion or disability. When a person perceives that harassment or job loss resulted from unlawful prejudice, a lawsuit might hold an employer financially responsible for the harm he or she experienced. An attorney could evaluate evidence, such as human resource records and co-worker testimony, to see if proof of wrongdoing exists. When viable, a lawyer could prepare court filings that describe the illegal actions in detail. Compensation for lost pay or career damage might be sought as part of a settlement.
Source: Mashable, "'Hotbed for racist behavior' -- new Tesla lawsuit alleges aggressive harassment", Emma Hinchliffe, Nov. 14, 2017
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