According to CNBC, over 90% of American workers have experienced discrimination in their place of employment. This is a staggering statistic, but there are numerous different types of discrimination, and this might be one reason why so many people are affected. Put simply, this type of mistreatment will be based on the employee protected characteristics.
If you do experience this kind of treatment at work, then reporting it is the only way forward. Discrimination will quickly impact your life in a variety of ways, whether that is personally or professionally, so knowing how to report discrimination at work can ease this stress.
In this post, three steps have been listed. These three steps will help you report discriminatory behavior in the workplace.
Keep a Record of Incidents
As soon as the first sign of discrimination is noticed, you must document it and every other incident that occurs. This is important to add credibility to your allegations, so you must ensure that your notes are detailed. The most relevant aspects to note down are the dates, locations, times, and witnesses to the incidents, as well as accurate descriptions of the events. You must also take care to note what was said if verbal discrimination takes place.
These notes should be kept in a journal, and they must be stored in a safe place, ideally outside of your workplace. It is also encouraged to keep a copy of all forms of communication that might have been discriminatory. These communications might include emails, instant messages, memos, and/or phone calls. Again, for the latter, you must record precisely what was said.
Similarly, if anyone witnesses these discriminatory incidents, you can ask them to provide a witness statement. These can help to validate your accusations, especially if you decide to seek legal assistance at a later date.
Report Treatment to a Supervisor
While you are recording your mistreatment at work, you should also take the time to report this to your supervisor or human resources department. This could stop discriminatory behavior and prevent future incidents from occurring, and it will protect your rights, too. You can show your superior your records of all past incidents during the meeting, although you should also document what goes on with your supervisor or HR department.
The meeting should end with a plan of action going forward, but you must keep a record of communication between yourself and your superior. If the outcome of the meeting is not what you deem sufficient, you can then move ahead by filing a formal complaint with HR. This is different from the informal meeting you would have previously had, as an official inquiry into the discriminatory behaviors will begin.
Submit a Complaint to the EEOC
Unfortunately, HR might not be able to resolve the situation in a way you find satisfactory, and this might mean lodging a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is necessary. The EEOC enforces federal laws against discrimination in the workplace, including firing, hiring, promotions, and such.
Complaints can be made to the EEOC in person, using the online system, or via mail. Within ten days, the EEOC will notify your employer. A copy of your complaint will be sent to your employer, and this will begin the investigation into your allegations of discrimination.
To conclude, experiencing discrimination is the workplace can be an overwhelming situation for any employee. You will want to put a stop to it, and the most effective way of doing so is to report the behavior. There are many ways to do this, but the best methods have been outlined in this post.
