You have rights as an employee, including the right to work in an environment free from discriminatory treatment of any kind. If you experience mistreatment because of your personal faith, you would be a victim of workplace religious discrimination. Victims of this type of behavior often feel intimidated and unsure of what they should do to protect themselves and make it stop.
It may be helpful for you to learn more about what qualifies as discrimination and what you should do next if it happens to you. When you know your rights, you will be in a better position to protect them. You do not have to stay silent as it can be illegal to fire, retaliate against or further discriminate against someone because he or she reported illegal treatment in his or her Washington, D.C. workplace.
What is it?
You may not be certain that the type of treatment you experience counts as religious discrimination. There is a difference between bad jokes and discriminatory comments or action. You could be a victim if any of the following happened to you:
- You experienced exclusion from opportunities in the workplace, such as promotions, training and more.
- You have experienced hostile behavior from your employer or another in the workplace because of your religion.
- Your employer refuses to allow you reasonable accommodations for certain religious practices, such as wearing your hair a specific way as required by your belief system.
- Your employer has created policies that are discriminatory in nature against certain religious practices.
- Your employer or co-workers regularly say harmful comments and exhibit aggressive behavior that you suspect is a result of religious discrimination.
Sometimes, workplace discrimination is subtle, and other times, it is very obvious and overt. If you are unsure if what you experienced counts as discriminatory treatment, you have the right to seek an assessment of your situation and an understanding of the legal options available to you.
Stand up and speak out
It can be intimidating and overwhelming to speak up about mistreatment you experienced at work. You may fear that no one will believe you or that you experienced some type of retaliation. With a strong and thoughtfully prepared case, it is possible to hold your employer accountable for a hostile work environment and the harm you experienced as a victim of workplace discrimination.
