Workplace discrimination is illegal, and most employers know it. As a result, they may deny discrimination allegations, claiming that they did not do anything wrong.
As such, it is important for workers to know what potential signs of discrimination they should watch out for. Below are just a few potential examples.
A glass ceiling
One example of discrimination is when workers in a specific protected class do not get promotions or raises. For instance, maybe all of the promotions for executive roles go to male workers, keeping female workers below a glass ceiling. This could be an example of gender discrimination.
Unequal impacts
When looking at any workplace rules, it is also wise to consider if there is going to be a disproportionate impact on any certain group. For instance, a dress code may disproportionately affect workers of a certain religion by prohibiting religious attire. This could be religious discrimination, even if the dress code technically applies to all workers.
Issues with hiring and firing
Finally, you can just look for big-picture trends when it comes to hiring and firing practices. If there are layoffs and all of the workers who lose their jobs are of the same ethnic background or they are all over 40 years old, those could be examples of racial discrimination or age discrimination.
What comes next?
If you do see signs of discrimination in your workplace, it is wise to know what legal options you have and what steps you can take moving forward. This is especially true if you’ve lost your job or lost earnings because of discrimination.