When you’re being treated unfairly at work, it can cause stress, tension and a whole lot of admin to deal with. The grievance process can be lengthy and frustrating, but it’s worth the effort to see a true change in your circumstances.
Staying silent or trying to resolve the problem yourself is usually not the right move. There are people in the HR department and in the legal field who will know how to prove workplace discrimination when you’re not sure what steps to take. Here are the most important things to do.
Remain Calm
First of all, try not to let your emotions get the better of you. Being discriminated against or treated otherwise unfairly in your place of work can be upsetting and frustrating, but allowing your feelings to take over your thought process could lead to further damage.
In the face of an incident, remain calm and professional. Save venting and complaining for your friends and family – not your colleagues – and let your emotions run freely once you’re home from the office.
Be Polite
When engaging with your employer, HR staff or even the person you’re having trouble with at work, be polite and professional at all times. Reacting and responding in anger or hurt could implicate you in an investigation, and you’ll want to do your best to keep your side as clean as possible.
It might be difficult to hold your tongue when you know you’re being wronged, but rest assured that justice will be served in a way that doesn’t compromise your own reputation and morals.
Have a Conversation
You might wish to make a verbal complaint about your issue before taking formal steps. In this case, be sure to follow the above tips and remain calm and professional in this conversation.
You could report incidents to your employer directly or to a human resources staff member, politely and professionally. Stick to the facts and don’t elaborate too much on the hurt or emotions involved.
Put it in Writing
Your verbal complaints might be enough to have the situation addressed, resolved and finalized. However, if the issue is more serious or left unresolved, you will have to submit a formal, written complaint which will kick-start the grievance process.
A formal letter submitted to HR will be addressed and most likely lead to an investigation of the issue. This will involve interviews with yourself, the accused and potentially any witnesses.
Hopefully, after this, your issue will be resolved and an agreement will be reached on how to proceed based on your particular issue.
Escalate It
Unfortunately, the grievance process isn’t always successful. Some complaints are ignored for months and sometimes, employees just aren’t satisfied with the outcome of the process.
If this is the case for you, you might want to consider hiring a labour lawyer to help you escalate the issue. An experienced attorney will be able to tell you what your options are, what can be done, if you can claim compensation or any other routes that could be available to you.
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Guest Author Bio
John Moran
John Moran is an American who enjoys the fine art of living well. His interests include anything wine, food or nature related especially when enjoyed with friends and family.
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