Discrimination is something that no one should ever experience, and it certainly should not happen in the workplace. Employees and employers are finding new ways to combat discrimination in the workplace, but the first step in fighting workplace discrimination is identifying it.

Most people can name at least a few of the classes that have protection from discrimination, if not all of them. However, not everyone can tell you all the ways that someone can discriminate against another party. Here are just a few examples of workplace discrimination:

Unjust discipline

Employers who discriminate against certain people tend to punish them more severely than necessary. Suppose an employee normally receives a verbal warning for being 30 minutes late to work, but an employee of a protected class gets written up for being 5 minutes late. In that case, this may be because of discrimination.

No diversity

Sometimes, discrimination can occur without the discriminated class even being present. If an employer discriminates against a particular protected group, they may choose not to hire them altogether. You may not immediately notice it, but this discrimination can occur if the employees are all white or all male.

Overworking

Another way of discriminating against someone is by overworking them. Two employees may have the same responsibilities, but if their employer assigns most of the work to only one of them, they may be doing it as a way of discriminating against them.

Denial or withholding of benefits

Employees who suffer from discrimination may notice that they are not getting the same fair treatment as their colleagues. An employer may approve one employee’s two-week vacation while denying the discriminated employee’s one-day off request. The employer may also award annual bonuses to everyone outside of the discriminated group.

Identification of discrimination is key

If you suspect that you or another colleague is suffering from workplace discrimination, do not just hope for the best. Contact an experienced employment law attorney to discuss what is happening in your workplace and what you can do to stop it.