The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sees around 90,000 complaints every year based on discrimination. It can be tough to know when to let something go or when to pursue legal action, but discrimination isn’t something anyone should have to deal with. If you feel as though someone you work with has treated you unfairly based on your age, sex, gender, race, or religion, here are the steps you should take before hiring a discrimination lawyer.
Speak to the offender.
If someone has offended you with their discriminatory actions, you must first talk to them directly. Legally, you must request that they cease their actions before you take any other course of action. When you approach the person, you need to record the exchange by jotting down the necessary information from the conversation as well as the date. Have a friend or coworker sign the document if they witnessed it.
Approach human resources.
If the discriminatory actions still have not changed, you need to begin recording every harassment that takes place by the offender. Write down what happened, when, and who was involved. After you’ve compiled evidence, you should approach your human resources representative or the appropriate complaint area at your work. Officially file a complaint and request that the actions cease immediately.
Contact an attorney.
Hire a discrimination attorney to fight for your rights if the offensive remarks continue after you have let your employer know. There are many options when it comes to filing an official complaint against your employer. In a workplace, you can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In some states, this office may be referred to as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). However, approaching this branch of government may not yield the results you desire. EEOC acts as a mediator between you and your employer to resolve the charges levied against them.
The biggest issue with this situation is that the EEOC doesn’t force your employer to give you a fair deal. It acts in the interests of the United States, rather than yours. The only way you’ll know you have a good deal is if you have legal counsel. Have a discrimination attorney come in and look over the agreement to ensure that you’ll get a fair deal from your employer. Additionally, it’s suggested that many companies take you more seriously if you have legal counsel.
It’s also considered wise to use a discrimination attorney to draft your case through the EEOC against your employer. If the EEOC determines that you have a good case to go to trial, you’ll have an attorney who knows all of the details about your situation and can move forward without issues. However, some complaints with the EEOC are given the green light to go to court, but may end up being thrown out due to insufficient evidence.
