Life can be hard enough without being discriminated against at your place of employment. Sadly, discrimination happens every day in workplaces across the globe, and it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to protecting yourself, your co-workers, and your mental health. If you or someone you care about is being discriminated against at work, the good news is that there are people out there who can help. For places to start when it comes to handling discrimination in the workplace, read on.
Hire a great attorney.
It’s 2022. It’s not exactly unreasonable to expect to be able to go to work without being discriminated against. Sadly, the reality is that discrimination still exists, and people are exploited at work every day. The great news is that there are fantastic attornies like Malliha Wilson out there who work hard on an administrative level to see that human rights concerns and violations are kept in the public eye. Malliha once served as Ontario’s assistant deputy attorney general and has extensive experience with labour law and human rights law. She fights for her clients to receive fair treatment as a partner in her law firm, Nava Wilson LLP.
If you feel like you’re being discriminated against at work, one of the best things you can do is start by calling a lawyer to get information on your legal options. Whether you find a human rights lawyer willing to represent you and intervene right away or you get a referral to a nonprofit human rights organization, you’ll at least be in the position of knowing your legal options and where to start when it comes to making moves within your human resources department.
Sadly, and especially in uncertain times during a global pandemic, many people are reluctant to get help with discrimination in the workplace due to fears about losing their jobs. The good thing about contacting an attorney about your job concerns is that they can help walk you through legal steps that will help you to keep or leave your job in a way that suits your best interests. Hiring an attorney doesn’t mean you have to instantly quit your job or that your employer even has to know about it.
Find a good therapist.
Few would argue that being discriminated against doesn’t come with great stress. For this reason, one way to deal with discrimination in the workplace is to do a Google search like “therapy near me” to find a therapist who can help you work through the anxiety, hurt, and fears that come with being discriminated against. A good therapist can give you tools for how to navigate your feelings around discrimination in the office and even in your time off. Not only that, but a licensed professional can also be another ear to listen when it comes to making big decisions about your legal options.
Make your mental health a priority and set new goals.
If you’ve hired a therapist or are considering hiring one to help deal with the negative impacts of discrimination, you likely understand that it’s easier to advocate for yourself when you’re feeling motivated and strong versus defeated and hopeless. In fact, part of effectively dealing with discrimination can be coming up with a list of goals for your future as you navigate the challenges you’re currently facing.
The truth is that your mental health matters more than any job or position, and by deciding how you want your future to look and how you’ll be there, you’ll begin to feel better and more able to handle anything challenging at work. In the end, you deserve to work in a place where your efforts and self are respected. By making your mental wellness a priority and reaching out to professionals to help with discrimination in the workplace, you’ll be one step closer to the job conditions you deserve and have better peace of mind. Best of luck to you as you do what you need to advocate for yourself and other workers at your company. Your desire for change will make a difference overall.