Workplace discrimination is often most associated with the most visible kinds, such as derogatory comments on things like sexuality or unfair firing decisions, but the truth is that it can go a lot further.
If you’re uncertain whether or not you’re facing discrimination, it’s worth having a working definition that covers the broader scope of it, on top of knowing what action you can take against it.
Different Types Of Workplace Discrimination
Discrimination can take many forms in the workplace. First of all, it’s important to know what it is. Class protections mean you can’t be discriminated against based on race and gender, but also sexuality, age, disability, religion, and even pregnancy. Discrimination can apply to workplace bullying and unfair hiring decisions, but it can also affect hiring, pay, promotions, scheduling, discipline, workplace culture, and even access to opportunities.
If you think you’re subject to discrimination, having a better idea of the breadth of actions and behaviors it can apply to can help you understand when you might have the law on your side.
When It’s Not Obvious
Cases of openly discriminatory behavior, such as workplace bullying with verbal acknowledgement of the protected status, might be the easiest to identify and potentially tackle, but they are far from the only kinds of discrimination.
Employers or coworkers may repeatedly exclude someone from meetings, overlook them for promotions, assign less favorable shifts, or treat their mistakes more harshly than others. Employees may also face unequal pay, reduced opportunities, unfair performance reviews, or stricter workplace rules because of the factors mentioned above.
What Are Your Options?
When you’ve experienced clearly discriminatory actions in the workplace, or you’ve begun to identify a pattern of behaviors that you think is discrimination, then it’s time to think about how to address it. First, it’s almost always worth addressing internally through HR, management, or compliance channels.
If that isn’t able to address the issue in a way you find satisfactory, however, then you might want to sue. Do you need a lawyer to sue? Technically, you can start legal action without their help, strictly speaking, but having a qualified employment attorney on your side can greatly improve your chances of success.
The Importance Of Documentation
One of the best reasons to start addressing discrimination through internal channels, as mentioned above, is that you’re able to start making a documented record of the problem in the first place. When discrimination is subtle or hard to prove, starting that paper trail is important, especially if you can get acknowledgement from others in your workplace. Building your evidence helps you improve your chances of a successful lawsuit down the line. This is especially true if you’re able to get an HR investigation started.
Discrimination is still alive and well in workplaces across the country, and hopefully, the tips above can help you address it. It’s important to take care and build up what evidence you need in cases where it isn’t quite as easy to point it out immediately.
