Have you been discriminated against in your workplace? How did you deal with it?
Luckily, I have never been discriminated against in my four years of being a member of the workforce. I guess I am among those few who experience fair and equal employment terms or my time has not yet come.
But for those who had been or is still in a discriminating environment, I bet every day is a struggle for them. They do not only carry the burden of having to accomplish their task but having to deal with the unfair treatment in their workplace as well.
Employment discrimination exists when employers illegally single out employees and job candidates on account of:
- sex
- age
- race
- color
- nationality
- religion
- marital status
- sexual preference
- pregnancy
However, if the singling out of employees is for reasons that are not covered by the laws, then employees are not protected from those types of discrimination. Example, if your employer is extra hard on you for no reason at all, no matter how unethical that is, it would not still amount to discrimination.
Annually, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission receives at least 80,000 discrimination complaints. I can’t help but be alarmed of this number despite efforts of the state to issue and enforce anti-discrimination laws and regulations.
It is my opinion that to be or not to be discriminated against is a personal choice. You have a choice to fight for your rights or sit and wait for others to complain.
The best way of fighting this social dilemma is to report the incident immediately after its occurrence. By doing so, the employer is warned that you cannot be taken lightly and would not pass any act of discrimination against you. If it continues, then you should file the necessary legal charge with EEOC. It’s best to act now before it’s too late!
