What to Do When You Are Witnessing Discrimination in Your Workplace

Nobody should have to worry about facing discrimination in a workplace in Palm Beach Gardens, but employees should also be able to work in an environment where others are not facing discrimination or harassment, either. When you witness unlawful discrimination or harassment, it can be difficult to know what you should do, and what you can do. While there are only limited circumstances in which a witness to discrimination may be able to actually file a claim, there are other options that you should know about. And, in certain cases involving harassment, coworkers may actually be eligible to file a claim themselves. Consider the following information from our South Florida employment discrimination lawyers.

You Can Report It or Consider Other Steps to Stop the Discrimination 

Any employee in a workplace can report unlawful discrimination to an employer, to the Florida Commission on Human Relations, or to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) — there are no legal requirements that you must be the person targeted or facing discrimination in order to make a report. Indeed, as the EEOC explains, it is important for employees to be proactive when they do witness discrimination or harassment, and to report it to an employer or their human resources department or union, or to contact the state’s human rights commission or EEOC.

Depending on the circumstances, you also may be able to take steps to support your coworker who is facing discrimination — such as by offering to be a witness if they file a report, offering to listen and validating their experience, or speaking up against the behavior in the workplace.

Your Employer Cannot Retaliate Against You 

State and federal law prohibit your employer from retaliating against you for reporting discrimination.

You Can File a Hostile Workplace Harassment Claim 

Even if you are not the person who is the target of the discriminatory treatment in your workplace, federal law recognizes that you may nonetheless be experiencing harmful or adverse consequences as a result of having to work in a hostile work environment due to discriminatory behavior or language. Accordingly, you may be able to file an employment discrimination claim yourself in a case involving harassment that creates a hostile work environment — even if you are not the employee who is being discriminated against.

Workplace hostile work environment harassment claims can be filed by the employee who is the target of the discrimination, or by other employees who are experiencing the effects of the hostile work environment around them. To be clear, although other types of discrimination claims must be filed by the party facing discrimination, hostile work environment claims are different. If you are in either situation — as an employee witnessing discrimination that creates a hostile work environment, or experiencing the discrimination — you should seek legal advice about moving forward with a claim.

Contact Our Palm Beach Gardens Employment Discrimination Attorneys 

Do you have questions or need help with an employment discrimination matter in your workplace? One of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens employment discrimination lawyers at Sconzo Law Office can speak with you today to learn more about the situation and to tell you more about options for filing a claim. Contact us today.

Sources:

eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/best-practices-and-tips-employees

eeoc.gov/harassment