Discrimination could create a pattern of behavior

Even when you can clearly see that you are being discriminated against, it can sometimes be difficult to prove. After all, the other party may simply deny that they were discriminating against you and claim that it is all a misunderstanding. This is a very common tactic from employers who face these accusations.

For instance, perhaps you applied for a promotion, but you were denied. You believe it is because of your gender, but your boss simply claims that someone else was more qualified or did better in the interview. They can give you almost any reason that they want to try to counter your claims of discrimination. That’s when it may be beneficial to look for a pattern of behavior.

Why does a pattern help?

A pattern of behavior can be helpful in a scenario like this because it can demonstrate what is truly happening and cut through some of these excuses.

In this example, say that you look back over the history of promotions at the business. What you find is that women never received promotions beyond a certain level, making it impossible for them to climb the corporate ladder. This is known as a glass ceiling. The jobs are always given to men, regardless of experience or other qualifying factors. It may be easy for your boss to say that you are just misunderstanding the situation you’re in, but this becomes more difficult when they can’t explain why they never give female employees the promotions that they are seeking.

As you can imagine, these cases are often very complicated. That’s why it’s so important to understand your legal options.

 

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