Discrimination and the Workplace

Whether you are an employee or an employer, it is important to know about discrimination. As an employer, you have to make sure that your employees are treated fairly. As an employee, you need to know what is right and wrong when it comes to working with other people. There are times when you have to speak up. However, in order to do so, you need to understand more about discrimination and the workplace.

Discrimination can be over many things, including:

• Race
• Age
• Gender
• Sexual preference
• Marital status. This can be about whether you are single, engaged, or married.
• Family status. Your family status is about your family. You can't be discriminated against because you are pregnant or are thinking about starting a family. You also have every right to have a family whenever you want to (but only if you do).
• National origin
• Disability

What does discrimination look like in the workplace?

Though most people think that discrimination is easy to spot, the truth is that it isn't always cut and dry. To help you understand it better, here are some types of discrimination that you need to look out for.

• Not getting the job that you deserve. Competition is tough when it comes to getting a job. That being said, there are times when a person of color may lose the job to a white person, even if they are more qualified. Pregnant women may get passed over because they are going to have a baby in a few months. They still deserve a shot at the job! Some companies won't hire mothers because they feel like they aren't as reliable. They may be afraid that they will have to take too much time off of work.
• Not being paid fairly. Though men are often paid more than women, the truth is that everyone deserves to be paid the same amount for the same work. Many companies are working hard to right this wrong. That being said, people who have more experience and those who have worked at a company for a long period of time are entitled to earn more money. That is not considered discrimination.
• Getting talked about behind your back (and in front of you). Little comments can hurt, even if they aren't intended to be heard. Nobody should be talking about someone else behind their back, especially if it could be considered discrimination. Jokes about older workers, no matter how funny they were intended to be, could be considered discrimination. Asking married women when they are going to have children isn't ok either.
• Not getting a promotion that you know that you deserve. Many companies are quicker to promote men over women. This is especially true when it comes to mothers. They are often overlooked because of their obligations at home.
• Being terminated unfairly. Though you may lose your job for any number of reasons, you may feel like there is more to it than just a few mistakes that you made. If you feel that you only lost your job because of discrimination, you need to seek the advice of a lawyer.

Discrimination is wrong no matter where you are, but there is absolutely no place for it in the workplace. It is important that every employee and employer feel safe at work. No one should have to worry about the talk that goes on when they walk out of the room. They also shouldn't worry about losing their job just because of the color of their skin or their sexual preference. If you have been a victim of discrimination, it is important that you get help. An experienced lawyer will be able to help you through this difficult time.

Previously published on Medium and/or Newsbreak.