Responding to Sex Discrimination

If you are the victim of sex discrimination, a type of employment discrimination in the workplace, you might be feeling threatened, humiliated and helpless. It is important to know that Federal and state laws protect employees from all forms of gender discrimination, including:

• Sexual harassment
• Hiring and firing based on gender
• Refusal to grant maternity leave
• Pay discrepancies
• Failure to promote because of gender

If you believe you have experienced sex discrimination in the workplace, it is vital to act quickly in order to protect your rights. Listed below are the suggested steps to follow when responding to sex discrimination:

• Keep complete records of what happened, when the events occurred and who was involved, and store this information outside the workplace.

• Keep any evidence of the discriminatory acts, including emails, official letters and notes.

• Make a note of any witnesses to the employment discrimination, including instances of sexual harassment.

• File an official complaint with your employer. Do this in writing and keep a copy for your own records.

• Utilize your workplace resources for conflict resolution and provide ways in which you think the problem could be rectified.

• If the sex discrimination issues are not resolved, file an official complaint with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the proper state authority.

• Be prompt when filing all complaints, as government agencies follow a statute of limitations for sex discrimination claims.

• Consider hiring a sex discrimination lawyer and filing a civil lawsuit against your employer.

 
To view more examples of our work, visit the Sample Content section of our website. And to learn more about sex discrimination in the workplace read our sample article.