As a US citizen, you’re entitled to secure employment in a discrimination-free environment, which includes issues like sexual harassment, racism, disability discrimination, and so much more. Being treated fairly is a fundamental human right, but now every employer – or staff member – acts according to laws and regulations. If you’ve been a victim of workplace discrimination, there are steps you can take to fight back.
Examples of Workplace Discrimination
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Discrimination comes in many different shapes including derogative comments and jokes, continuous selection for undesirable tasks, denial of opportunities, unfair pay, dismissal without reason, and unjust disciplinary action. For example, your employer may withhold a promotion because of your age or gender, but other people that have been there less time and perform just as well have already been promoted.
Workplace discrimination can be overt or covert. For example, if your manager is refusing to employ you based on your nationality, then you’re clearly facing overt discrimination. Whereas, if you’re being excluded from essential team-building activities outside of work, then you have a case of covert discrimination.
Your Rights Under Federal Law
The Federal Government views discrimination as a criminal act, and charges can be bought against perpetrators. There are a number of different policies that relate to types of discrimination. For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows you to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid annual leave in the event of certain family medical emergencies.
Managing Discrimination In-House
If you’ve experienced discrimination at work in any form, you should always attempt to manage this in-house at first. If you refer to your employee handbook, there should be a detailed overview of how to file formal complaints – including if it’s about a manager. Typically, there will be a first point of contact, which should trigger an internal investigation.
Once the initial investigation is complete, your employers will decide what actions to take. If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can usually appeal the decision, which will escalate the issue and the investigation may be taken externally.
Steps to Take if Issues are Unresolved
Unfortunately, not every case of workplace discrimination can be managed in-house. However, this doesn’t mean you’re out of options. In some cases, you can put together a case and file a lawsuit against your employer, which may see you awarded compensation.
Your first step take after the internal process has come to an end is to seek advice from a reputable lawyer like the law office of Omid Nosrati Employment Attorney. They will assess your case thoroughly and put together a plan of action, which will likely include collecting evidence. This may include communicating with colleagues and previous employees to see if there are any patterns of discrimination emerging.
Workplace discrimination can often feel like an impossible scenario to beat, especially when carried out covertly. However, your human rights are protected by Federal law, which means your initial complaints have to be taken seriously and investigated. If you’re not happy with the outcome of an internal investigation, seek legal counsel from an employment attorney.
