Discrimination and harassment can take a number of different forms. There are broad-sweeping federal laws that prohibit discrimination and harassment against individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, pregnancy, and age, among other classifications, in a variety of situations. State and local laws may contain similar protections, and may also provide for protection in other situations. Many detailed laws address and prohibit, in particular, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. If you are an employee, and you feel you are being discriminated against or harassed by your employer or coworkers, what can you do?
1. Make your employer aware that you feel you are being discriminated against or harassed. It is likely that many illegal acts of discrimination and harassment go unrecognized or unpunished because the victim does not make it clear that the conduct is unacceptable and unwelcome. Rare is the case where employers will readily admit to discrimination or harassment and help you to draft legal papers against them. Your employer is responsible for complying with the law, but you alone are responsible for making sure your personal rights are protected.
2. Let your employer know that you are taking the matter seriously. Ask that a written report be made every time you report an incident of discrimination or harassment. Ask that an investigation be made into your allegations and that disciplinary or corrective action against the offenders be taken. Employers are required by law to give prompt consideration to all reports of discrimination and harassment.
3. If you receive no response from your employer, consider contacting the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which has responsibility for overseeing compliance for many federal anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws, or your state equal employment agency. Getting the government involved in your case, and potentially having the state contact your employer, will most likely get someone's attention fairly quickly.
4. Keep a diary of any incidents of discrimination or harassment. Record the date, approximate time, location, parties involved, witnesses, and details of the improper conduct or speech.
Example: A diary entry could contain information such as, "On May 10, 1999, I was standing by the copy machine on the 4th floor when Kelly Douglass (supervisor) said 'I hope you realize that I won't have to put up with an old goat like you for much longer, because as soon as you turn sixty I'm going to fire you.' Jack Straup and Kurt McCann (coworkers) were there at the time and heard her say it."
5. Keep any objects or pictures which were posted, left for you, or given to you in the workplace that you believe were discriminatory or harassing.
Example: You are an African-American, and you arrive at your desk one morning to find a picture of a burning cross taped to your chair. Keep the picture. Although you will certainly find it reprehensible and upsetting, try to control your urge to tear it up or throw it away. Having the actual offensive item to help prove your case is much easier than having to try to describe what it looked like, and having to hope that your version will be believed.
Example: You notice one day at work that someone has taped a pornographic picture onto a bathroom stall door. You do not know who did it, but you find it very offensive. You may take the picture down and keep it, or you may take the picture, photocopy it, and replace the original (however much that may turn your stomach).
6. Review your company's anti-discrimination policy. The fact that your employer may have put it in writing, and acknowledged that it will not act in discriminatory ways may serve to benefit your position. If you have a copy of the policy in a handbook or other handout, retain a copy of it.
7. Review federal and state laws to see what your rights are. These laws are available at law libraries, some general libraries, and on the Internet. Some major federal anti-discrimination and harassment laws include:
State laws against discrimination vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may be called something different in each jurisdiction. If you have access to the statues or legal code for your state, review the table of contents or indexes and look for headings or descriptors that concern fair employment laws, discrimination, equal opportunities, and other similar topics.
Dealing with discrimination or harassment is bad enough in any setting, but when it happens at work, you may feel trapped since work is unavoidable. If you've been dealing with discrimination or harassment at work, it's in your best interest to get in touch with a local employment lawyer who can explain your legal options.
