Sadly, racial discrimination is still something that people across the world are experiencing on a daily basis. What’s even more saddening is the fact that many people are dealing with racism in the workplace.
Your work environment should be welcoming and inclusive. But if your managers or colleagues are discriminating against you based on your race, it can make things extremely uncomfortable and difficult for you.
If you’ve been a victim of ongoing racial discrimination at work, there are things that you can do to challenge it. Nobody deserves to be discriminated against and it’s illegal for employers to treat you unfairly based on your race.
So, what can you actually do to tackle racism towards yourself in the workplace? Here are some top tips.
Ask the Person to Stop
The first thing to do when you start to feel uncomfortable about the comments or behaviors of other people in your workplace is to simply ask them to stop.
Some people lack the awareness to understand what is offensive and what isn’t. They may say or do things without intentionally trying to hurt you and communicating your discomfort might be adequate to make them stop.
You mustn’t be afraid to set boundaries to ensure that other people are aware of what you personally find acceptable and what is hurtful to you.
Escalate the Issue to HR
If after asking the person or people to stop what they are doing, the racism continues in the workplace, you will need to escalate the issue to senior-level management or HR.
Your seniors will be able to speak to the people involved and may issue them a warning. These people may be dismissed if racial discrimination continues after this point.
The specifics of the anti-discrimination and anti-racism policies can vary depending on the company you work for. However, every employer is legally obliged to have adequate policies in place to prevent discrimination in their workplace.
Contact a Lawyer
There are situations where racism has occurred for several weeks or months. According to an expert employment lawyer los angeles, if, in such cases, even the management team fails to stop it, you must take legal action to safeguard your rights and get justice. The attorneys are trained with the laws of specific areas and will help frame a strong case against the employer based on your rights.
You can contact a race discrimination lawyer to help you file a claim against the person or people who have been racially abusive towards you.
Contacting a lawyer may also be necessary if it is your management team that is being racially discriminatory against you. As you would be unable to escalate the situation to the senior-level staff in the company, your only option may be to take legal action via an attorney.
Your lawyer will help you to create a strong case that could lead to you gaining compensation for your physical or emotional trauma. Taking legal action may also result in the dismissal of those involved in the discrimination against you.
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