Work Discrimination – What is it and What Can You Do?
Going to work can be draining enough. The long hours, the amounts of work that get piled and piled on, one file after another, and the ‘barely there’ lunch breaks that find you stuffing your cheese and tomato sandwich into your mouth over your keyboard in record time.
If you think that is bad, what about the outrageous issues that employees face through no fault of their own, such as discrimination in the workplace?
This piece will take a look at what work discrimination is and what you can do about it!
What is Work Discrimination?
By definition, work discrimination is judgments and decisions made based on race, age, religion, disability, sex, or other different characteristics that are classed as ‘protected characteristics’. Discrimination can happen anywhere, and it is illegal in the workplace, along with education, when buying or renting a property, using public services, as a consumer, and those who are part of private clubs or associations, to name a few.
What Does Work Discrimination Look Like?
Discrimination looks like an employer withholding a job opportunity from a woman because she is a woman, putting rules in place which will make things exceedingly difficult for those with disabilities, or rules that would put certain employees at a disadvantage.
Harassment is can also be discrimination if it is based on a protected characteristic, and victimization for those who have reported discrimination can also be a problem.
“What can you do?”
Speak Up if You See it
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you do run the risk of becoming a victim of discrimination yourself – however, one of the ways of tackling discrimination in the workplace is speaking up if you see it or if you are a victim of it. It is important that these offenses are not just swept under the carpet. The more people that speak up, the more likely something will be done about it. This can first be brought to attention with an informal complaint.
If you find that no changes are being made, it is time to involve a third party.
Lawyer Up
If you find that your complaints are falling on deaf ears – do not feel discouraged. There are many professional avenues you can explore to bring the problem to justice. Consulting a lawyer is a great choice for finding out where you stand and what options you have to pursue. Choose a law firm that specializes in employment law, such as nosratilaw, and see what they can do to help you today.
Raise a Grievance
Another route you can go down is filing a formal complaint. If your initial concerns are not listened to, raising a grievance includes a third-party mediator who then takes the responsibility to solve the issue away from those involved in the company.
This is the slightly less drastic step to hiring a lawyer; however, remember you can always get legal advice at any time and be reminded of your rights as an employee.
