What to Do If You Suspect Discrimination in the Workplace
Workplace discrimination is illegal. However, it can be tough to determine when you are being discriminated against, especially as it can reveal itself in numerous ways. Workers might find themselves experiencing bias because of their age, gender, sexuality, race, etc.
When you suspect you are being discriminated against at work, it might begin to affect your performance and make going to work feel like a chore. If this strikes a chord within you, then the five steps presented in this post could help you proceed through this situation.
Keep a Record of Incidents
As soon as you begin to suspect discriminatory behavior in the workplace, you should begin keeping a record. This will include any incidents you believe are a form of discrimination. The type of information you should keep a note of includes what happened, the date and time the incident took place, where it happened, and who was involved.
Although this can be difficult to prove if most incidents were verbal, it can still be useful to keep a note of the mentioned information.
You should also make a record and keep copies of any documents or messages that show discrimination. This would include performance reviews, emails, texts, etc. Any of these could be used if needed to establish some kinds of evidence.
Speak to Senior Staff Members
The next step to complete is to discuss the discrimination with a manager or senior staff member. This can be difficult to do, especially when you are upset or frustrated by the situation; however, you must stay calm to try and resolve this issue.
Before speaking to a manager, arrange a meeting with them so they have the time and concentration to listen to your concerns. This doesn’t have to be a formal complaint, but it might require some time. You can bring the evidence you have collected to present to your manager and prepare questions to raise.
Once this discussion is completed, you can wait to see if things improve before continuing with the third step.
Report Discrimination to Human Resources
If the discrimination continues after speaking to your manager, it is time to report the issue to HR. Human resources is responsible for guaranteeing employees are happy and safe at work. This will be a formal complaint, so it is encouraged to do this in writing; you can also do this in person, but you will want written proof that this formal complaint has been made.
HR staff are legally obligated to act after discrimination has been reported. They are trained to handle this type of situation and will be aware of the company policies in place to deal with incidents of discrimination. Most of the time, an investigation will take place after your formal complaint has been made.
Participate in Mediation
One suggestion HR employees might make to resolve issues is mediation. This is when a third-party is brought in to referee discussions between you and the staff member discriminating against you. It is important to remember that this step is essential to prove you have tried to make things better in the workplace.
This resolution method will see the mediator arrange meetings between the involved parties to build a rapport, allow both parties to express themselves, assist them to identify any misunderstandings, and help when thinking of options to work together. If both parties can agree on a solution, then it is considered a success.
Seek Legal Advice
If in case these two parties fail to reach a solution and the discrimination persists, then you will need to seek help from job discrimination lawyers. A good lawyer will take you through the employment law as it relates to your situation; they will brief you on what to expect.
This is where an employment lawyer will help in building up your evidence into a case. They will fight on behalf of your rights and get the justice that best suits you.
With this five-step guide, you will be better prepared for any actions to take if you feel that you are being discriminated against in the workplace.
