Do I have a case if my employeer is treating me differntly than other employees

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Do I have a case if my employeer is treating me differntly than other employees

At my place of employment we have a pet policy. Before its recent revision the policy sate you must ask the owner before bringing in your pet. It stated nothing about the owner having to meet the pet first, or about the owner having to be there the first time the pet is in the office.

I asked the owner and she said yes. Circumstance around the adoption of my pet we rushed due to the fact that the the person fostering the pet had to quickly move and wasn’t able to take the pet with her. I then had to move my adoption up almost two weeks. This meant that the first time my pet came to the office with me the owner was out of town.

The owner wasn’t happy with this. Since then I have been discriminated against because of my pet. The other pet owners have never been asked not to bring their pets in on certain days. Most recently, I was asked not to bring in my pet on the day of our Company Thanksgiving dinner, but the other pet owners could bring them in. My pet is not destructive, my pet is not loud and bothersome, my pet is fairly well behaved. My I have been the only one that has ever been asked not to bring my pet in on certain days.

Asked on November 8, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Colorado

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

You would only have a valid claim here if your treatment contitutes some form of actionable discrimination. In other words, if it was due to your inclusion in a legally protected class such as that based on religion, race, nationality, age (over 40), disability, gender, etc. And being a pet owner is not such a class. Therefore, it is legal if your co-workers permitted to bring their dogs but you cannot. Accordingly, unless your employer's action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, it is perfetly permissable. Bottom line, in an "at will" work arrangement, a company can set conditions much as it deems fit.

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

You would only have a valid claim here if your treatment contitutes some form of actionable discrimination. In other words, if it was due to your inclusion in a legally protected class such as that based on religion, race, nationality, age (over 40), disability, gender, etc. And being a pet owner is not such a class. Therefore, it is legal if your co-workers permitted to bring their dogs but you cannot. Accordingly, unless your employer's action violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, it is perfetly permissable. Bottom line, in an "at will" work arrangement, a company can set conditions much as it deems fit.


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