While similar in protecting against unjust discrimination, Section 1981 differs from Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Your chances of winning a discrimination case are much higher if you have the evidence and documentation to support your claim of discrimination. Such evidence could be direct or circumstantial.
A job discrimination complaint may be filed by mail or in person at the nearest EEOC office. You can find the closest EEOC office by calling the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000, or by going to the EEOC's Field Office List and Jurisdiction Map and selecting the office closest to you.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) covers discrimination in employment, housing, commercial property, education, and public accommodations. The PHRA has been amended many times since its adoption in 1955, originally as the Pennsylvania Fair Employment Practice Act.
Also, Title VII applies only to employers with 15 or more employees, whereas Section 1981 imposes no such limitation. Employees cannot be sued under Title VII, but they can be sued under Section 1981.
Filing a Claim for Employment Discrimination Before you may file a lawsuit against your employer in court, you must first file a complaint of discrimination with either the EEOC or PHRC. You must file the complaint with either agency within 180 days of the adverse employment action.
Section 1981, which is codified at 42 U.S.C. 1981, protects the equal right of all persons to make and enforce contracts without respect to race.
The City of Philadelphia has a powerful law prohibiting discrimination in three areas of protection: (1) employment; (2) public accommodation; and (3) housing and real property. The ordinance applies to employers, businesses, housing providers and property owners of all sizes.
Evidence in a discrimination case in California typically includes: emails, text messages, recordings, disciplinary forms, termination documents, or a copy of your employment contract if one exists. If you're like most Californians, you spend an inordinate amount of time at work.
In these instances, you may be able to prove discrimination occurred against you if you can establish a verifiable pattern of various types of harassment happening on the job. These can include racist comments, sexually suggestive comments or emails directed at you, or other acts that could be deemed as harassment.