How To Handle Unfair Treatment At Work In New Jersey

Jan 15, 2021

We all expect to be treated fairly in the workplace, judged only by our competence and performance on the job. This means being extended equal opportunities for promotions, pay raises and more. However, that is not always the reality. Many employees have found themselves on the receiving end of unfair treatment on the basis of a protected characteristic including age, race, sex, disability and more. If you believe you have been a victim of discriminatory behavior in the workplace, you have legal recourse.

Defining Unfair Treatment

If you have been harassed or discriminated against because of any of the following characteristics, you may have a case:
• Age
• Race
• National origin
• Sex
• Pregnancy or parental obligation
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Religion

While unfair treatment can take many different forms, below are some of the common experiences:

• Being harassed or bullied to the point that it affects your ability to do your job
• Being passed up for a promotion or pay raise
• Being paid a lower wage for doing the same job
• Wrongful termination
• … and more

Steps to Take

If you have been the recipient of unfair treatment at work, follow these steps towards resolving it:
• Document the treatment. This can be anything from harassing emails, comments on social media, paychecks where your wages have been deducted and more. If an incident occurred at work, record it down in as much detail as possible soon after. Even if you are unsure whether this treatment counts as discrimination, it can come in useful in negotiating a severance pay.
• Report the treatment to your HR department. This is especially important if you do not intend to quit the job. Besides leaving behind a formal record, this report serves as proof that you have taken steps to resolve the situation out of court, if and when the case escalates. In addition, it may even give your employer the push they need to take care of things.
• Avoid sharing details about what happened on social media. As everyone knows, there is no such thing as privacy online and anything you post can be used to your disadvantage.
• Contact an experienced lawyer for discrimination representation. If you have taken steps to resolve the situation by approaching the involved parties and your employer, yet nothing has changed, it may be time to call in legal assistance. Do not be afraid to exercise your rights as a victim of unfair treatment.

Turn to Carcich O’Shea For Workplace Discrimination Representation

Are you getting paid less than another employee for doing the same job? Have you been denied your right to take leave based on a protected characteristic? If so, you may have a case for unfair discrimination in the workplace. At Carcich O’Shea, LLC, our attorneys are well-versed in the latest nondiscrimination laws and will see to it that your rights are fairly represented when you engage our services.

How To Handle Unfair Treatment At Work In New Jersey