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Dillard’s, EEOC settle race discrimination case

On Behalf of | Oct 16, 2020 | Employment Law

Being treated differently because the color of one’s skin seems like it should be an outmoded scenario. Though many people believe that race discrimination is a thing of the past, it is obviously present in much of today’s society, including in the workplace. Continually, people of color have to fight back against mistreatment in the workplace.

Michigan readers may be interested in a discrimination case that recently came to a settlement. According to reports, claims against Dillard’s, a department store company, stated that African-American workers were denied promotions to supervisory and management positions simply due to their race. The lawsuit was filed in September by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Dillard’s and the EEOC have already agreed to a consent decree.

The report indicated that the company will pay approximately $900,000 to cover back pay and damages to employees who did not receive promotions due to discriminatory actions. It was unclear how many workers were affected. The decree also stipulated that Dillard’s provide anti-discrimination training, develop policies for promotions to apply nationwide and to have specific contact information for employees to use to make complaints regarding discriminatory promotion practices.

Race discrimination can cause qualified workers to miss out on career opportunities and promotion. Though the color of a person’s skin or ethnic background should not play a role in any employment decisions, Michigan workers may know that those details do not always stay out of the equation. If individuals believe that they have been discriminated against due to their race while on the job, they may want to determine whether they have cause to move forward with legal action of their own.