In some cases, you may feel like discrimination is occurring, but it can be hard to document or prove. For instance, you may think that your employer is biased against you due to your gender. But, if they fire you, they may claim it was just for performance issues or another valid reason. That doesn’t mean your gut feeling is wrong, but just that your employer may be covering up that discrimination.
This is when it can be useful to establish a pattern of behavior. Say that there are only three female workers at a company, and everyone else is male. If one of them is fired, it may not be discriminatory. If all three are fired and only male workers are left, though, that pattern of behavior shows that the company may be discriminating on a basis of gender.
What other factors could have contributed to your workplace issues?
The next thing to consider is if there was a valid reason for the firing. If the female workers all had the lowest production numbers, for instance, the firings may still be justified. But what if those workers are among the top performers at the company?
If clearly inferior workers are being retained because they are male and better-performing workers are being terminated because they are female, the root cause is clearly discrimination.
It can be very frustrating to find yourself in this position, but rest assured that the law is on your side if you’ve been discriminated against. You just need to look into all of the legal options at your disposal.