Are you facing workplace discrimination?

A good work environment is one of the best ways to increase overall worker happiness and productivity. On top of that, it promotes harmony, respect and other irreplaceable values that keep a good workplace moving.

Unfortunately, discrimination can still anchor itself into a work environment, leaving workers feeling disgruntled, harmed or even afraid. It is thus important to recognize red flags that might indicate discrimination.

Forms of discrimination

Fairy God Boss discusses ways to spot discrimination at work. First, note that discrimination can happen in many ways to a large spread of individuals. Discrimination may occur based on someone’s:

• Age
• Race, ethnicity or nationality
• Gender or sexuality
• Religious or spiritual beliefs and/or practices
• Pregnancy

Red flags can manifest differently in each unique case. However, some commonalities exist between all. First, the discrimination often comes with harassment that can include things like intentionally excluding targeted workers, passing them up for promotions, giving them the least desirable jobs or refusing to integrate them into the overall work environment.

Slander and libel at work

Slander or libel often accompanies discrimination, too. This goes beyond water cooler gossip and often grows so intense that it causes workers to quit their job or do whatever possible to move to another branch or location within the company. Slanderous talk can include speaking derogatorily about someone’s sex life in untrue ways, making racist remarks and spreading other false information.

When noticing signs of discrimination start to appear, it is important to take fast action. This can help prevent the workplace from growing into a toxic environment, which can easily push workers away and ruin the workplace experience.