The workplace atmosphere should always be fun and welcoming for all employees. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, as some employees are discriminated against at the office.
Several things may cause discrimination at work. These could be race, sex, age, or anything else that causes a boss or co-workers to mistreat an employee. Whatever the case, discrimination is wrong, and you should never endure such behavior from anyone. If you suspect you’re being discriminated against, you need to look into it.
Usually, when you’re discriminated against, there will be some signs, either obvious or less obvious ones. In any case, it’s essential to determine if you’re the victim of discrimination. To help you out, here are 6 signs that you’re being discriminated against at work.
1. Not Being Paid Equally
Talking about your salary with your employer can be pretty scary. It’s something that makes you nervous just thinking about it. But talking about it with your co-workers seems like a normal thing to do. Still, a lot of employers usually don’t recommend doing so.
Luckily for you, this is a right that any employee has, and it is protected by federal law. The 1935 National Labor Relations Act protects your right of sharing details about your salary. So, you should not be afraid to talk to others about your pay. It is actually a great way to find out whether you are dealing with pay discrimination.
If you’ve been working the same amount of time as other employees and you do the same tasks, yet you are paid less than the rest, then this is a sign that you may be discriminated against. It is even more obvious that discrimination is the reason for your lower salary when you are different from other workers in terms of age, gender, race, religion, or anything of the sort.
2. Unfair Promotions
All employees should be promoted when they deserve it, no matter their race, gender, or religion. However, some employers discriminate against certain workers, and one of the ways they do so is through unfair promotions.
This becomes very apparent if you are a female employee who is qualified for a promotion, yet you aren’t, while a less qualified male employee is promoted. The same thing applies if you’re a different race than your promoted co-workers, and despite being more qualified, it’s almost like the employer avoids you. These are examples of an employer discriminating against someone of the opposite gender or someone of a different race.
3. Biased Language
When you’re being discriminated against, it is likely that the employer will treat you differently compared to others. They will have a certain language that will reveal their opinion about you and their unlawful bias. Their language could include certain stereotypes about your gender, race, and religion.
For example, if the employer has a problem with women in the workplace, his language would reveal it. He might say something as “Women stop working as effectively once they have their first child,” or “Women shouldn’t take positions made for men.” Similarly, the boss might also make comments about your religion or race.
Unlawful bias is very bad and it might even influence the employer’s decisions in some cases. It can also hurt the person that is being discriminated against.
On top of that, some supervisors or co-workers may even start making inappropriate jokes. Now, it’s not uncommon for people to make jokes (inappropriate or not), but it is a sign of discrimination if the jokes are always about your religion, gender or race. Any derogatory statement is bad and it might even be illegal under the FEHA.
4. Bad Reviews
Another sign that you may be discriminated against is the fact that you’re getting bad reviews. If you are doing an amazing job yet you are getting poor feedback, while employees who do a worse job are getting better reviews, you might be a victim of discrimination. While a bad review is not that uncommon if it happens once when you make a mistake, it is a red flag when it happens all the time and everyone else somehow has good reviews.
5. Weird Interview Questions
A sign that an employer may discriminate against workers is the fact that they ask weird questions during the interview. We’re talking about questions targeting the protected class of the applicant. It’s often a sign that this employer most likely treats certain workers badly considering this is happening from the interview stage.
Some prohibited questions include asking a woman about whether she intends to have children, whether she is married or not, and whether she has someone to watch her children while she’s working. Of course, these are just some examples. Many other questions that are too personal or are related to your gender, race or religion could be a sign of discrimination.
6. Assumptions about Abilities or Plans
If there are any assumptions being made about the employee’s abilities or plans, it might also show there is some workplace discrimination going on. No matter what you are going to do – if the employer is starting to make assumptions, especially if you constantly hear them, the chances are that you are being discriminated against.
For example, a worker might be discriminated against when she is pregnant, and the employer assumes that she will not be able to take new projects during her pregnancy. The boss might also assume that the woman might not be able to do her job because of her pregnancy, or that she will not go back to work after maternity leave.
On top of showing unnecessary bias, these assumptions can also be unlawful. So, you need to look for these signs and figure out whether your employer is being discriminatory against you.
If they are, you can look for justice and hire an experienced lawyer from a well-known firm such as Smithey Law Group LLC. Such lawyers are professional, they can offer you advice and even help you if a lawsuit were to happen.
Final Thoughts
Discrimination is awful and nobody should go through this. However, if you suspect you are the victim of discrimination in the workplace, you should consider hiring a lawyer so that you’re able to fight back and win the case.
No matter the situation, you should never accept discrimination. An employer should help improve productivity, not discriminate against workers. You deserve to be treated respectfully at work.
