If you have faced discrimination at work because of your race, age, gender, religion, disability or other protected traits, the effects often go beyond missed promotions or lower pay. The stress, humiliation, and emotional toll of being discriminated against can weigh heavily on you, affecting your overall well-being.
As someone who has endured this emotional distress, you may be able to prove that you suffered emotional or psychological stress.
How can you prove emotional distress?
To recover damages for emotional distress as a result of workplace discrimination, you must demonstrate how it affected you emotionally or mentally. This means presenting supporting evidence, such as personal statements detailing your experience and medical records if you sought treatment. Testimony from friends, family and work colleagues, and statements from your health care provider, on how your behavior or mood changed can also help establish the emotional impact.
What should you expect?
Compensation for emotional distress varies greatly depending on the specifics of each case. Courts consider several factors when awarding these damages, including the severity and duration of the discrimination, and the impact on your daily life. It helps to present a solid case to improve your ability to recover meaningful compensation.
Take informed action
Start by gathering evidence that documents your experience, from emails and journal entries to medical records and messages you shared with friends or family about your situation. If you raised the matter internally, keep copies of the complaints you made, along with any responses you received. This can show that your concerns were real and possibly ignored.
Seeking legal guidance is equally crucial. It can help you assess the strength of your claim, build a strong case and present your ordeal effectively, all of which can go a long way in getting justice.
