Handling Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Racial Discrimination is the Workplace is Common. Unfortunately, there are still individuals who have to deal with racial discrimination in the workplace. A study at Rutgers University in 2002 determined that workplace discrimination is a common phenomenon. Twenty eight per cent of African American workers have experienced discrimination in the workplace. This is compared to six percent of whites. Discrimination lawyers point out that of all the forms of discrimination, discrimination in the workplace is a particularly insidious. This is because of its ongoing nature and the mental and emotional toll it takes on the worker. It is much harder to walk away from or turn your back on racial discrimination when it exists in the workplace. When your livelihood is at stake, you are more likely to try to ignore the discrimination and suppress the negative feelings involved. This inevitably leads to anger and bitterness, which then inevitably leads to poorer job performance. Discrimination lawyers will tell you that while overt acts discrimination are usually more obvious and direct, workplace discrimination is often subtle, harder to detect and more challenging to deal with.

The Challenge of Coming Forward. You may know that you are being discriminated against, but proving it is an entirely different matter. It is unlikely that an employer will specifically admit to racial discrimination. The difficulty in proving it adds to the frustration, isolation, withdrawal, self-doubt and lack of self-confidence that you are already experiencing. The resulting stress can spill over into family relationships and other aspects of your life. All people, especially African Americans, want to appear strong and are hesitant to talk about such personal things with therapist and other strangers. Nevertheless, when your job and your life is being impacted in a negative way, employers have to take notice. One viable and effective solution is to talk to discrimination lawyers. Besides being able to determine if you have a legal claim against an employer, discrimination lawyers will have the resources to help you cope with the emotional stress created by racial bias in the workplace. These resources might include networking and support groups, professional organizations, therapy or counseling, and job coaching.

Rights of Employees in the Workplace. All employees enjoy certain basic rights in the workplace. Among these basic rights is freedom from discrimination. This freedom from discrimination is even before being hired. As a job candidate and applicant, you have certain rights. In addition to race, you have the right to be free from discrimination because of age, sex, ethnic or national origin and religion. If you feel you have been discriminated against in the workplace, contact discrimination lawyers to schedule a consultation.