Tens of thousands of employees file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each year. However, if you’re considering filing an EEOC complaint after experiencing workplace discrimination, you might have some concerns. Filing a complaint can sometimes feel intimidating, but no one who has suffered due to discrimination should let anything prevent them from getting justice for themselves.
During the 2020 fiscal year alone, the EEOC secured $439.2 million for victims of discrimination across the country. While no one can guarantee any promises as to how your complaint will turn out, there are a few things you can do to help improve the chances you’ll succeed.
Here are a few tips you need to follow if you believe you need to file an EEOC complaint.
Hire a Lawyer Who Can Guide You
Reporting workplace discrimination is not easy for many people to do on their own, but any employee who has faced discrimination doesn’t have to do this alone. The best thing you can do in this situation is to hire an employment discrimination lawyer. While your case might not go to court, a lawyer is often still necessary. A lawyer understands the best route to obtain justice and will give you the legal guidance you need.
You want to ensure that everything is handled properly, and an employment lawyer will know how to do so. Even if you aren’t sure what the next steps to take are, if you believe you experienced discrimination, you need to consult with an experienced lawyer.
Have Evidence Ready
You need more than just your word to prove that you experienced discrimination. Perhaps there was written communication or documents that can help show the discrimination you faced. Whatever you can use that will support your claims needs to be prepared in advance. This is also something that will be easier if you work with an employment discrimination lawyer. If you aren’t sure where to regarding proving discrimination occurred, your lawyer can advise you.
Stay Calm and Professional
Experiencing discrimination is extremely difficult, and you might, understandably, be very upset over it. However, it’s important that if you’re taking any action against your employer, including filing an EEOC complaint, that you remain as professional as possible. You want to make a good impression and be easy to work with to make this process run as smoothly as possible. It can be easy to let your emotions get the best of you during such a challenging time, but you want to ensure you don’t do anything to jeopardize your chance to hold your employer accountable.
Find Coworkers Who Can Help
If you’ve been discriminated against in your workplace, you might not be the only one who has experienced or witnessed this. There’s always the chance that others are aware of discriminatory employment practices, but haven’t felt comfortable taking action themselves. Coworkers who can back up your claims can be helpful during this time. While asking others to support your claims of discrimination is difficult, a lawyer can help ensure you’re doing it properly.
Contact Brown Kwon & Lam If You’ve Experienced Employment Discrimination
No one expects you to know exactly what to do if you’ve been discriminated against. This is why the New York City employment discrimination lawyers at Brown Kwon & Lam are here to handle the complexities for you.
If you’re considering filing a complaint against your employer, contact us first. We will help guide you in the right direction and provide legal experience and knowledge that can help you get justice for your experience.
Don’t wait to get help. Contact Brown Kwon & Lam today.