A group of black employees working for Facebook have joined forces to file a racial discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The complaint alleges that black employees do not possess the same career opportunities as other employees who work for the company. The developments are being carefully watched by employment law professionals in the Washington, D.C., area.
The man leading the charge against Facebook’s alleged violation against employment law for workers explains that he is a veteran of the United States Navy and works as a company recruiter for other veterans and minorities as part of diversity planning by Facebook. He is joined in the lawsuit by two individuals he recruited. The other individuals did not receive jobs with the company and feel that they were denied employment because of their ethnicity. The trio says the filing is on behalf of all black employees of Facebook. The group also says that they wish to give voice to the many qualified applicants who were denied employment with the company based on their race.
A spokesperson for Facebook addressed the lawsuit and explained that it is company policy to establish a culture of respect and safety in the workplace for the benefit of all its employees. The company also says that any allegations of workplace discrimination are taken seriously by Facebook and properly investigated.
The complaint led by the recruiter comes after other black employees have voiced their displeasure with the lack of diversity at Facebook. Black employees make up about 4% of the company workforce. This number decreases by a percentage point to 3% percent when only senior leadership positions are considered.
Victims of workplace discrimination often feel powerless and alone. If the discrimination victim does not take a stand and fight against the discrimination they experienced, there is not much anyone else can do. Individuals who feel that their rights have been violated while working on a job may benefit from speaking with an employment law attorney.
