No matter how much progress has been made, discrimination still exists in the 21st Century. Many people around the world, especially in the United Kingdom, get treated unfairly because of the color of their skin, their gender, their religion, their age, their mental or physical disability, their economic situation, etc.
Discrimination can happen anywhere and at any time, even in the workplace. What should you do if you encounter it? Here are a few of your options.
The Law is on Your Side
Discrimination in the workplace is illegal in most places. If you think that the harassment you experience has crossed the line or you have been unfairly dismissed or refused benefits, you should consult a legal solicitor. There are legal solicitors in London who can tell you your options and how to proceed. Choose one that has extensive experience representing clients who have experienced discrimination in the workplace. Ask them about their rate of success and how they will handle your case.
Talk to Human Resources
However, before you take the issue to court, you first have to give your company to address the problem. Go to the human resources to talk about your grievances. The department was created to oversee the workforce and make sure that they are efficient and satisfied with their responsibilities.
After making a report, the human resources might conduct an investigation to see if your claims are true. Although some employees fear that disclosing the situation to the human resources will open them to retaliation from the person being accused of discrimination, letting it go through official channels will help you later on if you decided to take the problem to court.
Escalate
If, after repeated reports, the human resources have not made satisfactory actions regarding your complaint, then it is time to up your ante. At this time, you may speak to your trade union representative to support you. Next, take the matter to the employment tribunal. However, make sure that you have given your company opportunities to handle the issue properly. The employment tribunal will decide if you have a case at hand.
Prepare Evidence
Ideally, before you move forward with your claim, you have collected evidence to support your allegations. Do not delete emails and text messages nor toss out any relevant document that may prove that there was discrimination.
Similarly, you may have to talk to a co-worker who has seen the accused harass you or treat you unfairly. It will be difficult to win the case if you do not have any strong evidence to back you up or a credible source to prove that an incident happened. Check if you can get aid from the government to help you pay for a solicitor to represent you in court.
You May Have to Leave
Unfortunately, whether you are complaining about harassment or unfair treatment, bringing the problem to court means that you may have to leave your job and find a new one. Taking it to court means that you have done everything, but you failed to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion with your employer. The professional relationship is over.
The entire process will neither be easy nor fun, but no one deserves to experience discrimination, especially at the workplace. The United Kingdom prohibits employers to subject employees to unfair treatment, so do not hesitate and pursue justice.
