Discrimination in the workplace is a serious offense, yet it’s something that many people right across the world face daily. This discrimination can be based on anything, but some common types of discrimination include discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and age.
Whether you are being discriminated against by a coworker or your boss, you need to deal with it in the right way. If you have no idea where to start, you’ve come to the right place, as we’ll be guiding you through a few things that can help you deal with discrimination in the workplace.
Get a lawyer
While some people may want to try and resolve the issue internally, others may immediately want to get a lawyer involved.
And even if you do try to fix the issue without legal help at first, if there’s no improvement, you may have no other choice than to get a lawyer to help you fight this discrimination. Proving discrimination can be tricky, so if you have been discriminated against in the workplace, a good lawyer can help you build a solid case.
Report the discrimination
Whether or not you decide to go the legal route, you should report the discrimination, so that your superiors are aware of the issue, and also so that there is a paper trail that can serve as evidence. It can be hard to report a coworker, and even harder to report your boss, as it can feel like you are ratting them out.
However, remember that they are in the wrong – if they weren’t discriminating against you, you wouldn’t have been put in this position where you need to report them. If you’ve never written a formal complaint against a coworker, this post might be helpful.
Gather evidence
You may have noticed that we’ve mentioned evidence and proof a few times in this post, and that’s because it’s quite an important factor if you want to take action against the person who is discriminating against you.
If you have no proof of this discrimination, it could end up being your word against theirs, which means it can be hard to win a case or receive any type of justice.
If anyone has witnessed the discrimination, you can ask them to testify. And if it took place via text or email, try to keep these, as they will serve as proof of discrimination. It’s always a good idea to archive emails instead of deleting them.
Look after your mental health
Discrimination in the workplace isn’t just unethical – it can also have serious consequences. While it’s easy to say that you should ignore someone when they are discriminating against you, it’s harder to actually do it. If you have been facing discrimination in the workplace for a long time, it can seriously start to affect your mental health.
No matter how you decide to deal with the discrimination, it’s important that you are always taking steps to keep yourself mentally healthy.
