An employer should treat no one differently based on a trait a person cannot control or change. The goal of anti-workplace discrimination laws is to provide everyone with the same opportunities in obtaining and maintaining gainful employment. While many California workers may know this, they may not understand what groups federal law protects as it pertains to workplace discrimination.

Anyone could allege discrimination, but federal law outlines specific groups against whom it is prohibited. For instance, employers cannot discriminate against pregnant women, people over a certain age or because of a person's skin color. They also cannot inappropriately treat people who follow certain religions, or who belong to certain ethnic groups or national origins.

There seems to be a lack of qualified doctors in an agricultural and rural part of California. The problem appears to center around workplace discrimination suffered by minority doctors who attempt to work in the area. In contrast, doctors who do not fit into a state and federally protected group did not have the same experiences.

For those minority doctors who did experience discrimination due to race, LGBTQ+, gender, ethnicity or some other protected status, some commonalities became apparent through a survey conducted by the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences. Some of the respondents were forced to deal with vandalism of personal property, loss of professional privileges and negative comments. The problem is so pervasive that some minority doctors decided to leave the area entirely.

Each year, numerous California residents become victims in their workplaces. The #MeToo movement brought the plight of sexual harassment victims to the forefront, and the state's legislature attempted to respond last year with new legislation, but Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it. Legislators tried again this year now that Gov. Gavin Newsom is in office, and he approved important changes to existing law.

The enhancements to California's sexual harassment laws provide some new protections for victims. One change bans employers from requiring forced arbitration for these cases. Apparently, many employers were making their workers agree to it as a condition of employment. This took away a worker's right to a trial, which may keep the matter confidential, but also allows the conditions that led to the harassment to continue.

Employees typically trust that when they go to work, they will be treated fairly and respectfully. While that is true in the majority of workplaces, there are some instances where that is not the case. Some workers have superiors or other co-workers who may be unfairly discriminatory or create a work environment where not every employee feels safe and welcome. Fortunately, there are laws here in California and around the country meant to give employees recourse when they encounter these situations. One out-of-state law enforcement oversight committee made the recent choice to revoke the certification of one of its sheriffs who was accused of sexual harassment.

Local reports state that late last year, the sheriff confessed to seven different incidents of sexual harassment at his place of work. He was accused of putting sexually-explicit items on display where employees could see them and also commenting inappropriately on employees' personal lives. Commissioners on the oversight board heard the sheriff's statements and made the choice to take away his certification.