Discrimination at work can manifest in various ways, severely affecting employees’ well-being and career progression. Racial discrimination occurs when individuals face unfair treatment based on their race or ethnicity, leading to unequal opportunities.
Gender discrimination impacts both men and women, but it disproportionately affects women, creating barriers to advancement and equitable treatment.
Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is also a big problem. If you feel you have faced discrimination for any of these or more, then you are likely considering hiring a lawyer.
Hiring a lawyer for workplace discrimination can be very helpful. One reason is that discrimination laws are complicated. A lawyer knows these laws and can guide you through them. They can explain your rights and the best steps to take. In this article, we will go over the signs you should look for to know when to hire a lawyer challenging an employer against discrimination.
Clear Evidence of Discrimination
Having clear evidence of discrimination will make hiring a lawyer much easier. Clear evidence means clear statements or actions from supervisors or coworkers that show discrimination.
This can be things like racist or sexist comments, slurs, or direct statements about your race, gender, age, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics. For example, if your boss says you won’t get promoted because of your age, or a coworker makes offensive jokes about your race, this is direct evidence.
Indirect evidence is more common, however. Indirect evidence requires looking closely at how workplace practices affect different groups. It often means comparing how different people are treated to show a pattern of discrimination. Collecting this evidence can be harder but is important to prove ongoing discrimination.
Retaliation for Complaining
Retaliation happens when you face negative actions after reporting discrimination at work. This can be just as bad as the original discrimination and comes in many forms.
One form of retaliation is being demoted after making a complaint. For example, you might be moved to a less desirable position, given fewer responsibilities, or have your pay reduced. Another serious form is getting fired soon after reporting discrimination.
Retaliation is illegal and can seriously impact your career and personal life. If you experience retaliation, it’s important to keep detailed records. Write down all incidents, keep emails, and note any changes in your job or work environment after your complaint.
Being Denied Reasonable Accommodation Requests
A negative response to accommodation requests happens when your reasonable requests for things like a disability or religious practices are denied without a good reason.
Employers have to provide reasonable accommodations to help you do your job unless it causes serious difficulty for the business. If your requests are denied, it’s important to keep records of all interactions about your requests.
For example, if you ask for a different work schedule because of a disability or need a private space to pray because of your religion, your employer should consider these requests carefully. If they say no without a valid reason or don’t try to find another solution, this can be considered unfair treatment.