Fighting against discrimination at work – the guardian.com
Happy Monday!
Today, we have the pleasure of introducing our guest contributor Zena Thomas, PHR, in our new Ask HR feature. A fellow corporate sister and blogger extraordinaire, Zena blogs at hersavvycareer.com. She will tell us today about what to do in cases of discrimination at work from an HR point of view. Thanks, and welcome Zena!
I always advise employees that they are their own first advocate in cases of discrimination. When faced with discrimination, employees must decide if they want to take action. I encourage employees to stand up and advocate from themselves if they find that they are a victim of discrimination in the workplace. If employees do not report cases of discrimination, then no action will be taken to resolve the problem. Most companies have a documented policy prohibiting discrimination and Human Resources and Senior Management are responsible for ensuring employees have a discrimination-free work environment.
If an employee faces discrimination at work from her Manager then she should immediately turn to Human Resources for assistance. Human Resources is responsible for making sure the company is free from discrimination and harassment. Most HR Departments have an open door policy and would want to know if there is illegal conduct in the workplace. In the case that an employee is not comfortable in going to HR for assistance, there are a few other options available for reporting discrimination.
An Ethics hotline is a great place to start when an employee is a victim of discrimination. The Ethics hotline is a valuable resource for employees to speak with a professional about unethical behavior in the workplace and they are trained to guide employees in the right direction. Also, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are available at most companies for employees that may need help in dealing with inappropriate behavior at work. Discrimination has a mental and emotional effect on employees and an EAP is a good place to turn. Whenever an employee is in a difficult work situation and needs guidance, I encourage them to talk to their Mentor. Most mentors have years of experience and have seen the good and bad of corporate America. A Mentor can provide the support that employees needs as well as help guide them through the process. Sometimes a person outside of the organization is needed to help an employee get through this difficult time in their career.
Finally, employees can always turn to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to report a claim of discrimination. This organization is dedicated to investigating claims of discrimination in the workplace based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Discrimination based on any of these characteristics is illegal and the EEOC is the agency that enforces these laws. I again recommend that employees report discrimination internally first but if there is not any notable action taken to resolve the issue, then the EEOC is another resource to help victims.
Discrimination is a very serious offense and should not be taken lightly. Employees should know that their Human Resources department and leadership team want to deter discrimination in the workplace and in order to do that, they must be aware that there is a discrimination issue within the organization. Employees have several resources available to report offenses and it is their right as employees to stand up and advocate for themselves against misconduct.
Do you have any further questions about what to do in cases of discrimination at work? Please post a comment below, email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com or hersavvycareer@gmail.com!
The Corporate Sister.
