Why workplace discrimination happens, and why it's still illegal

Common causes

• Stereotypes about who can lead, who is "a culture fit," or who will be committed after having kids.
• Cost-cutting that targets older, higher-paid workers.
• Managers who hire and promote people who look like them.
• Discomfort with disability or medical accommodation requests.
• A culture where offensive jokes go unchecked.

Intent isn't required to prove every claim

Some claims turn on whether bias motivated a decision. Others, called disparate impact claims, look at whether a neutral-seeming policy hurts a protected group without a valid business reason.

Either way, the law looks at results and evidence, not just what the employer says it meant.

What employers are supposed to do

California requires employers to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment, including training and a working complaint process. When they don't, that failure can be its own claim.