The law prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees or prospective employees based on their protected class. Meaning your employer cannot discriminate against you based on your gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability status or nation of origin.
Unfortunately, despite the many leaps that have been made towards creating safe workplaces, cases of sexual discrimination in the workplace are still rampant. If you have a gut feeling that you might be a victim of sexual discrimination at work, it is important that you take action to safeguard your rights.
Proving sexual discrimination at work
Proving sexual discrimination in the workplace can be quite difficult. However, despite the challenges, it is still crucial to take action. Otherwise, the practice could continue against either you or your co-workers.
Keeping a journal of specific discriminatory incidents can go a long way in proving your claims. In your record, it is important that you include the following:
- The actual discriminatory incident
- The perpetrator
- The date and location where the incident happened.
- Witnesses to the incident
- Whether you reported the incident to the relevant authority and the action taken
If you have electronic evidence of the incident (email or text messages), be sure to take a printout and keep them in your journal.
Sometimes, isolated incidents may not be sufficient to prove sexual discrimination at work. That said, if you can identify a pattern of behaviors, then you can build a stronger case against the perpetrator.
Remember there are time limits you must adhere to when filing. If you think you have a case, do not delay seeking legal help to understand your options.