Honolulu Discrimination Attorneys

Discrimination Attorneys in HAwaii


Under Federal Law and Hawaii Law, it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms, conditions, or privileges of his or her employment because of the individual's race, color, religion, gender/sex, sexual orientation, national origin, medical condition or medical disability.  In other words, an employer can not make decisions related to the hiring or firing of an employee based on the employee's race, color, religion, gender/sex, sexual orientation, national origin, medical condition, or medical disability. 

When unlawful discrimination occurs in the workplace, such conduct creates a hostile work environment.  It is unlawful under Federal Law and Hawaii Law for an employer to permit a hostile work environment to arise and/or to persist. 

An Employer's Duty of Care
An employer in Hawaii has a duty to provide employees with a work environment that is free from unlawful discrimination.  To achieve such a result, an employer in Hawaii must do the following things:

1) Educate its employees about what type of conduct may constitute unlawful discrimination. 

2) Implement policies and procedures that prohibit unlawful discrimination and which permit an employee who has been a victim of workplace discrimination to report the unlawful discrimination without fear of reprisal or retaliation by co-employees or the employer. 

3) Upon receiving a report of unlawful discrimination in the workplace, an employer must conduct a fair and objective investigation of the report of unlawful discrimination. 

4) If an objective investigation by an employer uncovers evidence that unlawful discrimination has likely occurred in the workplace, the employer must take reasonable steps to eliminate the unlawful discrimination / hostile work environment.

If an employer fails to carry out any of the steps noted above and the employer's acts or omissions result in harm (be it physical and/or emotional/psychological) to the employee, the employer may be found liable in Hawaii Courts for the damages arising from its unlawful acts and/or omissions.

Unlawful Retaliation
It is a violation of Federal Law and Hawaii Law for an employer to take adverse action against an employee based on the employee's reporting or opposing unlawful discrimination in the workplace.  Such adverse action may include, but is not limited to, firing the employee, suspending the employee, withholding the employee's pay, demoting the employee, etc.

Retaliatory Termination It is a violation of Federal Law and Hawaii Law for an employer to terminate an employee because the employee reported or opposed unlawful discrimination in the workplace.  When this occurs, it is called retaliatory termination.

Constructive Termination
When an employer fails to eliminate unlawful discrimination in the workplace and permits a hostile environment to exist and/or persist, the work environment can become so toxic that an employee is unable to continue working for the employer.  When an employee finds it necessary to resign because of the existence of a hostile work environment or due to unlawful retaliation by the employer, such a resignation constitutes constructive termination under Federal Law and Hawaii Law.

Time Limits
There are very strict time limits for reporting and filing claims for unlawful discrimination, unlawful retaliation, retaliatory termination, or constructive termination.  If you believe you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination, unlawful retaliation, retaliatory termination, or constructive termination, please contact Honolulu, Hawaii Attorneys Remillard Huynh & Barbour.  We represent individuals  and workers and/or employees who have been victims of unlawful discrimination in Honolulu and throughout the State of Hawaii and we are here to help you.


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