New York workers often face gender bias and discrimination on a daily basis. For instance, failing to make eye contact with female colleagues while doing so for male colleagues is one example of potential discrimination. While most people don’t intend to treat their colleagues differently based on their gender, it can still have an impact on how people perceive their role at work.
However, there are ways that workers themselves can combat acts of discrimination both large and small. For instance, it may be possible to casually mention to a coworker that a certain action comes across as disparate treatment. In many cases, a person wasn’t intending to cause any harm and will try to avoid the offending behavior in the future. If this isn’t the case, an employee has the right to take his or her concerns to an HR representative.
Prior to addressing a colleague about potentially disconcerting behavior, it is important to consider whether that behavior is truly dismissive. Taking actions such as talking with coworkers about a certain individual may help a person to truly gauge the situation. If others have noticed the same behavior, it may be worth talking about. This can be especially true if that person treats workers of both genders in an equally poor manner.
Employees who feel as if they have received unequal treatment at work may have recourse to resolve the matter. This may happen either through informal talks or through legal action. An attorney may assist those who believe that they have been treated inappropriately based on their gender or other characteristics.