What steps should you take after workplace discrimination?

As the victim of workplace discrimination, you may be surprised at the way you’re being treated.

Even if you don’t see it coming, you need to take immediate action to ensure that you protect yourself.

Here are five steps to take in the aftermath of workplace discrimination:

• Report the incident to your employer: Don’t wait a single day to report the incident, answer any questions and ensure that your employer understands that you expect the behavior to stop.
• Take additional action: While you hope your employer brings an end to the discrimination, this doesn’t always happen. In this case, you’ll want to contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for more information and guidance.
• Keep accurate notes: You should record every incident, including the date, time, people involved, witnesses and exactly what happened.
• Maintain evidence: If you have any evidence of the workplace discrimination, such as an email or photo, you should keep it along with your notes.
• Review your employee handbook: It’s here that you’ll learn more about your company’s anti-discrimination policy, including the steps you can expect them to take.

Along with the above, you should also review state and federal laws to better understand your rights as an employee.

Workplace discrimination is every bit as serious as it sounds, as this can impact your personal and professional lives in many ways.

If you take the right steps following an incident of workplace discrimination, you’ll feel better about what’s to come. In the event that the issues persists, you may have no choice but to learn more about your legal rights as an employee.