Ongoing training helps to address workplace discrimination

On Behalf of | Apr 17, 2017 | Employee Rights |

Discrimination can emerge in many ways at workplaces throughout New Jersey. When employees experience ongoing negative treatment, such as exclusion from meetings and disparaging comments, it can impact their morale and motivation and reduce overall productivity at the company. A commissioner from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission advises employers to provide training that makes middle managers and supervisors accountable for workplace harassment.

In addition to recognizing behavior among workers based on biases, middle managers should receive training about how to respond appropriately. Training sessions to remind supervisors of the issue should occur regularly, and management should inform all employees of how to report problems.

Researchers who interviewed 500 workers who had experienced workplace discrimination found that the people believed that co-workers did not want them to contribute because of their race, age, gender, religion, disability, pregnancy, marital status or sexual orientation. Many victims felt that their contributions were unwelcome or lacked credibility.

Federal and state laws have established many employee rights meant to protect a person from discriminatory practices like lower pay, withholding of promotions, wrongful termination and retaliation for complaints about unlawful practices. When a person struggles with discrimination at work, the advice of an attorney might provide the means of taking action. An attorney could help the client file a complaint with the applicable agency. To collect evidence, an attorney could examine payroll records, email correspondence and testimony from co-workers. Once evidence is documented, an attorney could cite which laws have been violated and strive to seek an out-of-court settlement for the losses that the client has incurred.

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