If you are being harassed and/or discriminated against at work, did you know that you may have legal options? No one deserves to be treated this way. Do not just assume it’s something you have to deal with or the type of experience everyone has in your industry. It is not, and you deserve better.
That said, discrimination and harassment can take many forms. Here are a few of the most common ones so that you know what to watch out for:
Personal harassment
The easiest way to think of this is bullying. Someone else may not like you or may simply see putting you down as a way to lift themselves up. They’ll harass you by making jokes at your expense, insulting you in public and making you miserable on the job. You may not even know why they’re doing it, but you’ll feel like you can’t escape it.
Harassment that is also discrimination
When the two issues combine is when the harassment you face is based on a protected class and is therefore illegal discrimination, as well. For instance, maybe someone makes fun of your religion in the office, or maybe they spread rumors about you. They could harass you about your race or stereotypes regarding your culture. Gender-based discrimination and harassment are also very common in workplaces that are dominated by one gender.
Harassment based on power
In some cases, supervisors and others in positions of power may use these positions to harass you. Your immediate boss may have no ability to fire you, for instance, but may make your life miserable by making demands you can’t meet, always giving you the jobs that no one wants or giving you rules that do not apply to the rest of the workforce. They may be trying to get you to quit, or they may just want you to be unhappy.
What are your options?
Once again, work should not be like this and you do not have to simply accept that it is. If you are facing harassment and discrimination, take a moment to learn about all of the legal options you have.
