Spring 2025 Civil Rights Scholarship Winner
Shreya Nair
Read Shreya’s Essay:
As of 2024, millennial workers have grown to comprise the plurality of the labor force during an unprecedented time in labor history. As they navigate a rapidly changing (and often, exploitative) job market, millennial workers must remain aware of key civil rights issues that affect their ability to earn their salary and find fulfillment in their careers. Millennial workers face a variety of civil rights issues: from workplace discrimination, to wage theft. And increasingly, the judgements of courts have profound impacts on how millennial workers are protected: from Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri, to Bostock v. Clayton County.
While working at the Small Claims Advisory Service on Wage Law disputes, I came to understand how crucial it is for workers to be aware of their rights regarding fair compensation and to have access to legal resources, like those provided by the Devadoss Law Firm, to protect those rights. Certainly, I have seen how a lack of access to resources can alienate people from legal systems that they wish to engage with. At the Small Claims Advisory Service, I helped clients with these issues first hand, helping them regain access to unfairly withheld wages. Once they could access them, legal protections helped my clients raise their voices, assert their rights, and avoid wage theft. With an increasing number of millennials entering low-wage, gig, or non-traditional roles (many without access to basic benefits or protections) it’s more important than ever for law firms to offer legal representation to clients who lack the resources to fight on their own.
Through the Small Claims Advisory Service, I saw how inadequate workplace protections can extend even beyond wages to affect things as personal as health care decisions. For example, despite the robust protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) many employees still face stigma or outright denial when requesting remote work options. Furthermore, the fickle nature of the modern job market has created an environment where employers can easily exploit workers who are unaware of their legal protections, leaving them with no choice but to acquiesce to their employer’s unfair demands. I have even encountered cases where workers were pressured to resign rather than receive the remote work accommodations they were legally entitled to.
For millennials to effectively protect themselves in the workplace, they need access to information and resources that empower them to fight for their own civil rights in the labor force. Whether its understanding the many nuances of wage law, or being aware of the pro-bono legal resources available to them, the ability to harness legal protections in the face of civil rights violations is not just essential for individual financial security, but also for ensuring that workers as a whole are treated with dignity and fairness in a changing labor landscape.
This reality underscores the urgency of educating millennials about the wage laws that protect them and providing easy access to resources that can help them assert those rights. Without this knowledge, many will continue to fall prey to workplace injustices that undermine their financial independence and well-being.
Law firms, legal aid organizations, and employers can play a vital role in this process by offering training and outreach to ensure that workers know where to turn for help. Additionally, employers can support workers by fostering transparency around wage policies and accommodations, creating an environment where workers are not afraid to assert their rights. Without this knowledge, many will continue to fall prey to workplace injustices that undermine their financial independence and well-being.
Additionally, there is ample potential for millennial workers to come together and support each other through collective action. There is great strength in solidarity, whether through unions, worker advocacy groups, or peer networks. Millennials are uniquely positioned to bring attention to workplace injustices, as their digital fluency allows them to organize, share information, and hold employers accountable in ways previous generations could not. Building stronger networks of workers who share knowledge about their rights, and who can lean on one another when facing unfair treatment, is a crucial part of fostering systemic change.
The courts also play a pivotal role in protecting the rights of millennial workers, ensuring that legal precedents are set in favor of fairness and justice in the workplace. Judges must interpret and enforce existing labor laws in ways that reflect the realities of the modern workforce, which often includes gig and freelance workers who may not have access to the same protections as traditional employees. By issuing rulings that prioritize workers’ rights, such as protecting them from wage theft, discrimination, or unsafe working conditions, the courts can set crucial legal precedents that guide both employers and workers in the future. Furthermore, courts can clarify ambiguities in the law, especially in areas like remote work accommodations or worker misclassification, which are increasingly common issues in today’s economy. When courts consistently rule in favor of workers, it sends a strong message to employers that mistreatment will not be tolerated, and it ensures that employees can rely on the legal system to hold employers accountable. By strengthening labor protections through fair and consistent rulings, the courts can help to create a more just workplace for millennials, where the rule of law serves to defend not just the individual, but the collective good of all workers.
Ensuring that workers are informed and empowered is a fundamental step toward achieving greater equity in the workforce and creating a more just economy for future generations. With the support and guidance afforded by the Devadoss Scholarship, I hope to become a lawyer who works towards this ideal.