West Palm Beach Gender & Sex Discrimination Attorney

Upholding the Rights of Florida Workers of All Identities

Gender and sex discrimination occurs in the workplace when an individual or a group of individuals are treated differently or worse than others because of their assigned, preferred, or lack of sex and/or gender identity.

Sconzo Law Office is passionate about standing up for the rights of those individuals who have been discriminated against due to harmful stereotypes. Our West Palm Beach gender & sex discrimination attorneys are willing to fight for you if your job has been affected by such ignorance.

Laws Protecting Against Gender & Sex Discrimination in the Workplace

There are two major laws that protect Florida workers regarding this type of discrimination:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), a federal law
The Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA)

While employers cannot legally discriminate against applicants or employees because of their sex and/or gender, in practice this has persisted.

Whether intentional or not, gender and sex discrimination is a major problem and can affect worker’s pay, treatment, job opportunities, and more. In fact, according to a Pew Research Center study from 2017, roughly four in every ten working women (42%) in the U.S. say they have faced job discrimination on the job because of their gender. Approximately 22% of men have experienced the same thing.

If you or a loved one has experienced harassment, lower pay, or any other mistreatment due to your sex or gender identity, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our firm to discuss your legal options.

What is the Difference Between Sex & Gender Discrimination?

Though you are likely familiar with the difference between “gender” and “sex” many people tend to mix up or even merge the two, especially as people around the world continue to question and expand upon how society currently classifies gender.

The difference between discrimination based on sex and gender is:

Discrimination based on sex is based on whether the individual was assigned “male” or “female” at birth
Discrimination based on gender is based on how the individual identifies themselves, whether they are male, female, or non-binary

When an individual’s sex and gender do not align, they may be considered “transgender.” People whose sex and gender identities align are often referred to as “cisgender.”

Both of these categories are considered together when it comes to the legal implications. It is a civil rights violation to be targeted based on either.

Examples of Sex & Gender Discrimination

Gender and sex discrimination can manifest in different ways. The bottom line is you should never be treated any differently or worse than your colleagues as a result of your sex or gender.

Examples of what gender and sex discrimination in the workplace may look like includes:

Being asked interview questions that specifically target your sex or gender (such as whether you plan to get pregnant)
Being assigned to different tasks than coworkers of another sex or gender in the same position aren’t required to do (e.g., asking only women to serve to or only men to do heavy lifting)
Being fired for reporting sex or gender-related harassment or abuse
Being paid less than colleges of a different gender in the same position
Being passed over for promotions despite being more qualified than colleagues of a different sex/gender
Employees are barred from holding senior positions or advancing beyond a certain point because of their sex or gender
Experiencing sexual harassment or being targeted for harassment due to your sex or gender identity
Granting longer leave for mothers than for fathers
People make fun of, insult, or threaten you because you don’t conform to your perceived sex or gender identity

How to Fight Back Against Gender & Sex Discrimination

While people tend to associate women as the sole victims of gender discrimination, the reality is that people of any sex or gender can be discriminated against. The same goes for those who can perpetrate such actions – men, women, and individuals outside the gender binary may be responsible for harassment.

Regardless of how you identify, you should never feel afraid of standing up against the individual, people, or company that discriminated against you. With us by your side, you can be confident that we will use the law as well as any other tools available to us to argue your case and help you get the result you deserve.