Every employee deserves a conducive work environment. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination is widespread throughout the United States. If you are a victim of discrimination at your place of work, it is important that you take appropriate steps to report the vice and protect your rights.
Discrimination in the workplace takes many forms. A qualified employee may be denied a promotion they deserve. A worker may be continually harassed based on their religion, race or even age. Thankfully, there are a number of Michigan as well as federal laws that protect employees against discrimination.
Here are two things you need to do if you believe you are being discriminated against at the workplace:
Let your employer know about the discrimination
The first step in tackling discrimination in the workplace is to let your employer know what is going on. Chances are good that your organization has a policy on workplace discrimination as well as specific procedures on how employees can report discrimination.
It is important that you understand and follow this procedure when reporting the incident. Be sure to demand that the incident is recorded and that you obtain a copy of the report. This is important should the matter end up in court or before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Document the discrimination
Besides reporting the incident to your employer, it is important that you keep your own journal of the discriminatory incidents.
In your journal, be sure to include the date the incident happened, the time, the parties involved, and the nature of the discrimination. It is important that you have this information in your personal notebook rather than your work computer. For instance, your employers repeatedly talked about your age for months, and then you are fired. Keeping a record of the discriminatory remarks is important if you are to prove wrongful termination.
Workplace discrimination affects employees’ productivity and the organization’s overall success. If you feel you are being discriminated against at work, it is important that you take appropriate steps to safeguard your rights.