Everyone in the United States has the right to go to work and be free from discriminatory treatment.
This means that your boss cannot make decisions about hiring or firing you on the basis of your race, gender, religion, national origin, advanced age or disability status.
However, this is not the only type of protection from discrimination that exists in the United States.
Civil rights laws also ensure that you have a working environment free of discrimination, so your peers and co-workers cannot treat you badly because of your protected status. 
Teasing due to your nationality may be a violation of your civil rights.
If your co-workers make fun of you, treat you differently or make you feel uncomfortable as a result of your national origin, you should consult with an experienced Florida employment law attorney for help.
Your lawyer can explain your legal rights and options and help you to understand what you can do to stop the discrimination or recover compensation for losses.
Cellar Legal, P.A. has extensive experience representing clients who have been victims of discrimination, so call today to speak with an attorney who can help you.
Is Teasing Due to Your Nationality OK?
Teasing due to your nationality is never OK. In fact, it can be considered a form of prohibited workplace discrimination that your employer is legally responsible for.
In addition to prohibitions against overt discrimination like refusing to hire people of a certain nationality, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has also been interpreted to apply to hostile work environment discrimination.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a hostile work environment is created when the conduct you are being subject to is “severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.”
Teasing due to your nationality could rise to this level provided that it is continuous or severe.
However as the EEOC makes clear, “petty slights, annoyances and isolated incidents,” are not illegal discrimination unless extremely serious.
You should report the incidents to your employer when teasing due to your nationality occurs.
Your employer should have a system in place that makes it possible for you to make complaints.
The employer should also ensure you have a way to report the teasing without having to go through someone who is engaging in the hostile behavior against you.
Your employer is then obligated to act when you report the incident.
If your employer does not respond to stop the teasing due to your nationality, and if the teasing could reasonably be perceived as creating a hostile work environment, then you can pursue legal action against your employer.
It is a good idea to keep a detailed record of all incidents of teasing due to your nationality so you can prove you were the victim of illegal discrimination.
Cellar Legal, P.A. represents clients who have been discriminated against and who have experienced hostile work environment discrimination.