Work can be stressful, especially when personalities may clash and people have to work with tight deadlines. When such stress, however, stems from potential discrimination or harassment from others in the workplace, knowing what to do can be important to protecting your rights – and possibly even a future workplace discrimination or harassment claim against an employer.
Have You Been the Target of Workplace Discrimination or Harassment? If So, Here’s What You Should Do…
- Start documenting the incidents – Specifically, keep written details about when the discrimination or harassment occurred, where it happened, what occurred and whether there were any witnesses. Include as many details as possible (specific to the date, time, names of people, etc.), and be sure to do this every time such incidents occur. This type of documentation will be important to establishing that your rights as an employee were violated (and possibly to refuting different accounts that the alleged harasser or discriminator may tell later).
- Retain all evidence you may have – This may include voicemails, emails, written notes, official memos, etc. In other words, anything that may be able to verify the harassment or discrimination should be retained.
- Report the issue – If your company has a human resources department and/or official processes for addressing discrimination/harassment allegations, you need to report the incident(s) to your employer, allowing them to address the issue, before you can bring your case to court. In other words, you have to give your employer the opportunity to investigate and rectify the situation before you can file a discrimination or harassment lawsuit against your employer. So, be sure to follow the proper procedures if applicable.
- Keep your actions in check – Specifically, be careful not to retaliate or say/do anything that could hurt your future claim.
- Consult with an attorney – This may be the single most important thing to do (aside from documenting the discrimination/harassment), as a lawyer can clearly explain your rights and options for moving forward.
Contact the Atlanta Discrimination & Employment Lawyers at the Law Firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP, LLP
If you have been discriminated against or harassed at work, you can turn to the experienced Atlanta discrimination & employment lawyers at the Law Firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP, LLP for aggressive legal advocacy and the highest quality legal services.
At Barrett & Farahany, LLP, we believe in helping people and protecting their rights, which is why our attorneys always provide our clients personalized, responsive legal service. We work in true partnership with our clients to fully understand their needs and provide them with the best representation.
To learn more about our services and how we can assist you, contact us today by calling (404) 238-7299 or by emailing us using the contact form at the bottom of this screen.
From our offices based in Atlanta, our trusted attorneys provide superior representation and legal service to people throughout Georgia, including those in Decatur, Scottdale, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain, Tucker, Smyrna, Conley, Marietta, Mableton, Forest Park, Ellenwood, Red Oak, Austell, Lithia Springs, Morrow, Lithonia, Rex, Riverdale, Clayton County, Cobb County, Dekalb County and Douglas County.
