Birmingham Sex
A promotion denied because of sex, unequal access to assignments, or assumptions about who should lead a team can affect your livelihood. Examine the decision, the criteria, and how your employer applied them.
Aventus Law PLLC represents employees in Birmingham and throughout Alabama from 324 Commons Drive, Suite 34, Birmingham, AL 35209. Call (205) 210-8533 for 24/7 intake.
Sex discrimination under Title VII
Title VII generally prohibits employers with at least 15 employees from making employment decisions because of sex. It protects applicants and employees, including men and women. The Supreme Court has also recognized that firing someone because of sexual orientation or transgender status violates Title VII's prohibition against sex discrimination.
Employment decisions may involve hiring, pay, job assignments, promotion, training, discipline, or discharge. Stereotypes about leadership, caregiving, or suitability for particular work can warrant review when they influence those decisions. A qualification dispute or unfavorable result, standing alone, does not establish unlawful bias.
Sex discrimination and sexual harassment can overlap, but their legal questions differ. Unwelcome sexual conduct, demands tied to job benefits, and sex-based hostility require review of the conduct and the employer's responsibility. Our harassment page explains that subject. Pregnancy discrimination also falls within sex discrimination and receives its own dedicated page because the evidence and related accommodation rights deserve focused discussion.
Examine criteria and comparable treatment
Preserve the job posting, selection criteria, application, performance reviews, and explanation for the decision. For unequal pay concerns, record the actual work, responsibilities, compensation, and relevant experience. Title VII and the Equal Pay Act have different requirements and procedures, so a pay concern needs careful evaluation.
Identify comments that reveal assumptions about sex and who made them. If another employee received a benefit you did not, explain the factual basis for the comparison. Document whether the criteria changed and whether the employer followed its stated process.
Explain what changed financially or professionally, including lost wages, missed opportunities, or altered responsibilities, and preserve supporting employment records.
Keep records you lawfully possess without taking confidential personnel files. Tell us if you raised a discrimination concern and then faced discipline, reduced opportunities, or termination. Our retaliation guidance addresses that separate evaluation.
Act before a filing deadline
For Alabama employees, the EEOC charge deadline for a Title VII claim is generally 180 days from the discriminatory act. Federal employees ordinarily must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days. Exceptions and other claims can follow different rules. An internal complaint generally does not extend the EEOC deadline.
Call Aventus Law PLLC at (205) 210-8533 before signing a release or making decisions about resignation. We review the evidence and discuss possible next steps. Contacting the firm does not file a charge or preserve a deadline.
General information, not legal advice for a particular situation. Representation requires the firm's agreement.
Related guidance: Discrimination overview | Pregnancy discrimination | Workplace harassment | Wages and Hours | Retaliation | Home