Discrimination at My Job Based on My Gender
My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: New Jersey
I am a 43 year old Hispanic gay male. Not sure if race or sexual orientation is a factor to throw in, but I'm not sure what the legal process entails. I work on the platform of a bank branch. The branch I work at is full of women, a couple male tellers, with an all-female platform (except me), and female managers. All of the platform and management go against me every chance they get. When the women call in sick, come in late, or mess up in general, they don't even get a slap on the wrist. When I call in sick or mess up in anything that they are known to mess up, I get punished or scrutinized. This has been going on since when I started in April 2014. (The managers have little to no contact with the male tellers, so I cannot divulge in how they are treated). I sell the most in store points, I'm a super star in sales, etc, so no, this 'discrimination' isn't due to my poor performance. I'm always optimistic, I'm super nice to all of my coworkers, & I do enjoy what I do, but this blantantly obvious discrimination has me kind of PO'ed.
I've spoken to my boss in regards to how I feel about "equal treatment among all employees", and my concerns were ignored. And for the record, I have secured another better job at another competing bank company, but I am afraid I am carrying to my future job emotional scarring of all the unnecessary bullying.
As for evidence: there are little tidbits. Me and coworkers have heard the manager saying semi-misandrist things at the store meetings. I.E. "It's great to see just women on the platform", which upon seeing my appalled reaction at her comment, she later apologized to me for saying it. I.E. #2: Where there's physical/laborious tasks like lifting heavy items, coin boxes, etc, the whole bank crew 90% of the time assumes that I should do it because they see me as "man of the house".
I know there are people on here that will say "butch up" or something. I've been through a lot of stuff in my previous jobs, but I've never had to deal with something so unfair and aggravating. Usually gender discrimination happens with women, but not in this case. I'm trying to figure out if I have grounds for a case, because I'm not sure what HR will do about it.
Re: Discriminated at My Job Based on My Gender
You have been there a while, and you have not ever spoken to your HR about the situation, after your manager was not responsive? And by the way, did you even mention to him that you felt you were being treated differently because of your sex? And now you are leaving? I doubt there will be lasting emotional scars that you will have a hard time recovering from that would enable to you file any kind of claim against your soon to be former employer here. In fact, the company can likely say, if the EEOC were to investigate, that they were not aware there was a problem.
Re: Discriminated at My Job Based on My Gender
It sounds like you are probably being discriminated against but I'm not sure it is in a way that would give you a claim to pursue against the company. From your narrative the bank hasn't taken any significant action against your employment, denied you a promotion, or compensation and although the comments and scrutiny is discriminatory on an unlawful basis it is not so serious that it would give you a viable harassment claim.
I'm sorry you have had to suffer this experience but the extent of your remedies is likely leaving and finding employment at a better employer. You may want to file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC or your state's civil rights agency and see where that goes. It wouldn't hurt to talk to a lawyer in your area either.