Every employee deserves a safe and discrimination-free workplace. But despite the awareness campaigns and countless legislations, discrimination at work is surprisingly common. If you experience any form of discrimination at work, you deserve justice.
Workplace discrimination can manifest in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, gathering concrete evidence of discrimination can be difficult since it mostly happens without warning. To prove your claim and receive the damages you deserve, you need to pursue your case with care and dedication. And this is where documentation of workplace discrimination comes in.
Documenting workplace discrimination
Simply claiming that your employer or someone in a position of authority discriminated against you may not carry the day. You need evidence to prove your case. Here is how you document workplace discrimination:
- Make a comprehensive description of the incident. Exactly what happened? Where and when did it happen?
- Obtain statements from people who witnessed the incident, including the contact information
- Where possible, record an audio, video or take photos of events that followed the discriminating act
- Keep any physical evidence like notes, gifts or any other relevant item
- Preserve any communications from the perpetrator such as emails and text messages
- Keep a record of your past and present work evaluations like appraisal reports letters of recommendation as well as anything that can prove that you were a diligent employee
Remember, the more evidence you can put together, the easier it will be for you to present a strong case before your employer or the EEOC.
Protecting your rights
If you are a victim of workplace discrimination, do not sit back and do nothing about it. The steps you take immediately following an incident of discrimination can greatly impact the outcome of your case. Knowing how to document incidents of workplace discrimination can help you protect your rights when presenting your case against the perpetrator.