In general, race discrimination in the employment process is not permitted but it can sometimes be difficult to detect. The employee or job applicant, however, may know it is going on. It may outwardly seem more subtle when an employer fails to hire or promote an employee because of their race when the employer is unlikely to state racial discrimination as the reason. Racial discrimination in the workplace is strictly prohibited by both federal and state laws.
Ways to establish racial discrimination in employment, hiring and promotion practices, for instance, include if the employer inquires about the applicant's race but then refuses to hire them. Additionally, it may be possible to establish patterns of racial discrimination in hiring decisions or if an individual who is less qualified is promoted instead of the individual that is suffering racial discrimination.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects workers from racial discrimination in the workplace in the following ways. Employers are prohibited under the federal law from refusing to hire an employee because of their race; firing or disciplining an employee because of their race; paying an employee less or providing them with fewer benefits because of their race; failing to provide benefits, promotions or other opportunities to an employee because of their race; or improperly segregating or classifying employees or job applicants based on race.
In addition to protections afforded by federal laws, state anti-discrimination laws also protect workers from racial discrimination in the employment and hiring process, as well as in the workplace, so it is important for workers and job applicants to be familiar with the laws in their state. Workers should always be aware of their workplace rights and the protections available to them concerning racial discrimination in the workplace.
Source: Employment.findlaw.com, "Racial Discrimination in the Workplace," Accessed June 20, 2017