You cannot be fired, harassed or treated differently at your job because of a bankruptcy either. Bankruptcy may be part of the reason you are NOT HIRED, but it cannot be the only reason.

What Are Common Examples Of Discrimination and Harassment?

· Promotions are only offered to white employees, even though employees of other races have the same training, experience, and work performance.

· At work, your co-workers call you bad racial names. Your supervisor knows about it but does nothing.

· Your supervisor asks you for a date or says personal or sexual things to you. You don’t want to have a personal relationship and don’t like the comments. The supervisor tells you that if you don’t cooperate you won’t get a raise.

· Your employer will not promote married women because she or he thinks they will probably get pregnant and leave.

· Your manager yells at you, and treats you worse than other employees because you do not speak English very well.

· Your employer demotes you when you are 56, after working at the job for 20 years because you are “too old to learn new things.”

What Should I Do If I Am Being Discriminated Against Or Harassed?

If you are being discriminated against or harassed at work because of your race, sex, religion etc., you should tell the person harassing you to stop. If it continues, or if you are not comfortable asking them to stop, you need to report it to the supervisor or Human Resources. Do this in writing. Keep a copy.

What Can I Do About Discrimination and Harassment?

· Write down things that happen to you that do not feel right.

· Write down the date and time, and the names of anyone else that was there.

· Take notes of comments made by, and conversations with, your supervisor.

· Report your worries about discrimination and harassment to your supervisor in writing.

Can I Get In Trouble If I Complain?

No. Employers can’t get back at you (retaliate) if you have made a good faith claim that you are a victim of illegal discrimination or harassment. If you are fired after reporting discrimination you may be able to sue.

Sometimes it is hard to say what is discrimination or harassment, and what is not. If you feel you may have been discriminated against or harassed, call one of the agencies below.

A legal claim for discrimination or harassment has to be filed within a certain period of time after it happened. Time periods depend on your case and the agency you file with. But the time periods are short. Call immediately or you may lose your chance to protect your rights.

For more information or to get help with your claim call these agencies:

Minnesota Department of Human Rights	Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Freeman Building	330 South 2^nd Ave., Suite 430
625 Robert St. North	Minneapolis, MN 55401
St. Paul, MN 55155
	Phone: (612) 335-4040
Phone: (651) 539-1100 or 1-(800) 657-3704	TTY: (612) 335-4045
TTY: (651) 296-1283	www.eeoc.gov
www.humanrights.state.mn.us


Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights
City Hall, Room 239
350 South 5^th St
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone: (612) 673-3012
TTY: (612) 673-2044
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/civil-rights/commission.html

Minneapolis Legal Aid – CLE

MN Legal Services Coalition

2324 University Avenue W. – Suite 101B

St. Paul, MN 55114

Don’t use this fact sheet if it is more than 1 year old.

Write us for updates, a fact sheet list, or alternate formats.

Fact Sheets aren’t a complete answer to a legal problem.

See a lawyer for advice.

© 2011 Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance. This document may be reproduced and used for non-commercial personal and educational purposes only. All other rights reserved. This notice must remain on all copies. Reproduction, distribution, and use for commercial purposes are strictly prohibited.

To find other Legal Aid Society materials, including any fact sheets mentioned in this document, go to www.lawhelpmn.org/LASMfactsheets.

Race	· Marital Status
Sex	· Getting public assistance
Color	· Disability
Creed	· Age
Religion	· Sexual Orientation
· National Origin (but they can ask for proof that you are allowed to work in the U.S.)