How should you handle gender discrimination?

When you go to work each day, you may want to focus on doing your job. However, it can be difficult to do your best when you experience gender discrimination. It is important to recognize signs of gender discrimination, as well as understand what you can do. If you experience gender discrimination at work, this means that your employer or colleagues treat you differently because of your gender. According to Equal Rights Advocates, gender discrimination can take many forms. People might pay you less than a male colleague who does the same job or has the same qualifications. Additionally, your employers may evaluate you differently. Someone may say you need to dress more appropriately, for example, or they may criticize your leadership skills. People may also refuse to give you the same raise or promotion that they give to some of your male colleagues. When you experience this kind of treatment at work, you may sometimes feel like there is nothing you can do. However, there are steps you can take. It is a good idea to write down everything you have experienced. You may want to note who said something discriminatory and the exact date. If someone else saw the incident, you might want to ask them to write down a statement for you. It is also a good idea to look over your company’s policies. This can help you understand the complaint procedure, as well as the deadline for filing a complaint. After someone does something to discriminate against you, you usually have between 180 and 300 days to file a complaint. Once you put all of this information together, it is a good idea to speak to your boss or someone in Human Resources. This gives your company an opportunity to fix the situation. You may want to make your complaint in writing and keep a copy of your report in the event that you have to prove that you did indeed file a complaint.