Being the victim of discrimination in the workplace can be an isolating experience. You might not want to talk to anyone else about it for fear of appearing petty; you might feel embarrassed at the misconduct; you could be made to feel like there is nothing you can do about it. However, understand that if you the victim of discrimination, you are not alone.
In fact, there could very well be fellow employees struggling with the same issues. Just look at the massive fallout at Uber, where 20 people were fired after it was revealed that employees filed a whopping 54 complaints citing discrimination. Another 161 complaints filed cited bullying, harassment, retaliation and other types of misconduct.
In this type of environment where so many people feel mistreated, it is no wonder people feel like they don’t have a voice or an effective way to protect themselves.
However, in many cases, instances of discrimination and harassment are hardly isolated. There may be discriminatory policies in place that have a widespread impact on people all across a company, or certain behaviors exhibited by one person can be used as a means of excusing similar behaviors by others, perpetuating a harmful cycle.
In the context of the case against Uber, the problem was certainly widespread. In addition to the 20 people who were fired, dozens of others were ordered to go through training or given a final warning after the CEO ordered an internal investigation.
The investigation was in response to a former employee who recounted her experience of harassment at Uber on her personal blog.
If you have been discriminated against at work, it is crucial that you file a complaint. If nothing comes of that complaint, don’t just assume there is nothing more you can do, or feel that you have to publish a blog to prompt an appropriate response. You can talk to an attorney who can help you build a legal claim seeking accountability, consequences for the wrongdoer and compensation to acknowledge the damages you have suffered.
