When speaking in generalities, workplace discrimination and sexual harassment may seem easy to spot. In reality, though, a lot of workers who are discriminated against and who have been harassed struggle to articulate how they were treated unfairly or unjustly. This, in turn, prevents them from taking the legal action necessary to truly protect their interests. That’s why in this post we want to give some common indicators that may signal that you’ve been subjected to workplace discrimination or sexual harassment. Hopefully then you can tell when you’ve been subjected to maltreatment by your employer and can take action to protect your interests.

Failing to recognize discrimination and harassment in the workplace can leave you susceptible to ongoing wrongdoing, and threaten not only the trajectory of your career, but also your mental and physical well-being. With that in mind, here are some common red flags that should give you pause and force you to consider whether you’ve been subjected to actionable discrimination or harassment:

1. People of a certain class are passed over for opportunities: If you notice that people of a certain protected class are routinely passed up when it comes to favorable assignments or promotion, then workplace discrimination could be in play, especially if those who are passed over are just as qualified, if not more so, to assume those assignments and positions.
2. Applicants are asked inappropriate interview questions: While interviews are focused on an applicant’s qualifications, they can also assess how the applicant will fit in with the work environment. Yet, questions about “fitting in” can turn out to be discriminatory in nature, especially if they address issues like age, religion, race or one’s desire to have children.
3. Excessive inappropriate jokes: Humor is found in all workplaces, but sometimes it takes a turn into the land of harassment and discrimination. This is true when the joking is unwelcome, offensive and it addresses one’s physical characteristics or their status in a protected class and it winds up creating a hostile work environment. Don’t write these jokes off as innocent or unintended statements. Take them seriously and act on them if you believe they constitute discrimination or harassment.
4. Exclusion from key meetings: If you’re consistently excluded from team meetings despite your position and qualifications calling for your participation, then discrimination may be playing a role. This is especially true if younger, less experienced individuals are being included in those meetings.
5. Unfair performance appraisals: Assessments of your work performance should be as objective as possible. While some subjectivity may be necessary, it shouldn’t treat you unfairly compared to other workers. If it does and results in discipline or demotion, then you may want to look more carefully to see if you were treated unfairly simply because of your status in a protected class.

Don’t miss your opportunity to hold your employer accountable for wrongdoing

You don’t deserve to be discriminated against or sexually harassed. But if your employer engages in this egregious behavior, it’s not going to stop unless you act. So, even if you merely have a suspicion that you’ve been subjected to workplace discrimination or sexual harassment, then you should conduct a comprehensive analysis of the situation to determine if legal action is warranted.

Your employment law attorney can assist with that review, so don’t feel like you have to navigate the process on your own. By being thorough and taking the action necessary to protect yourself, you’ll hopefully secure a fair and favorable outcome that sets you on track for the successful future that you want.