Employers have a great deal of responsibility when it comes to ensuring that their workers are treated fairly. They often take the time to implement policies and procedures in hopes of preventing unjust actions from occurring in the workplace. Unfortunately, even after taking such steps, discrimination claims could still be filed against them, and as a result, employers may have legal issues to handle.

Montana residents may be interested in such a situation taking place in another state. Reports indicated that two African-American men made claims of racial discrimination against the university for which they work. One man works as an electrician, and the other works as a systems reliability technician. Both men reportedly state that they have been treated more unfairly in comparison to their white coworkers.

Apparently, when one of the men had his phone stolen, he was reprimanded and did not receive a replacement. When such an event happened with white employees, those workers reportedly did not receive disciplinary action and were given replacement phones. The men also claim that they were required to work outside in extreme weather conditions, while white workers were given indoor duties. As a result, the men are moving forward with a lawsuit.

The university involved in the case stated that it is their priority to treat workers fairly and that they could not comment further on the case. Montana employers who have discrimination claims filed against them may feel that they have also treated the fairness to their employees as a priority and that such claims are unfounded. Unfortunately, they may still have to contend with legal proceedings in order to address such claims; therefore, speaking with their legal counsel may prove wise.

Source: wtop.com, “2 black employees allege racial discrimination, sue U.Md.“, Michelle Basch, June 22, 2017