In these trying times of covid and racial upset, adding workplace discrimination issues to the list can be overwhelming, especially if you are victim to the harassment itself. Knowing what’s discriminatory in the first place and how to best handle the situation is key to moving forward. If a sexual harassment attorney is needed, trust Mark J. Berkowitz PA to handle your case. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, our firm has over twenty five years of experience in handling all types of harassment and discrimination cases, from age and gender discrimination to wrongful discharge, we help you no matter your dispute.
How Human Resources Should Begin
No matter the harassment or discrimination concerns, human resources should be involved in your current plight. As a human resources employee, their main responsibilities are in risk management and protecting your rights as an employee of the company. Working for a company in the HR department means one is protecting the company’s interest. This comes with helping the company manage, protect and minimize the number of the company’s risk in issues arising. In addition, HR employees should also be protecting your rights as an employee during this situation, through determining and addressing if you have had a workplace right violated. This is crucial for not only your rights as an employee at the company, but also for any future employees who may experience the same or similar harassment down the road.
Discrimination Issues
Any human resources department must first address the allegations you have put forth, whether it’s toward a fellow employee or even upper management. A great HR department will thoroughly and objectively determine whether your claim is solid and found. There may be some limits in what the HR employee can do for you, but they should be able to establish the validity of your claim or not, even if they don’t have all the details by the end of their investigation. It may require bringing in other employees to ask questions and checking emails or phone calls, but they should keep you in the loop, especially at the end so you are aware of their findings and what (if any) steps they will be taking next. This can prepare you better on whether you may have a case against the company if you feel they didn’t handle the issues correctly. Although HR employees are more like third parties when it comes to the case itself, they should still be respectful of you and any emotions you are feeling during this process, and should also be supporting you through this ordeal. There should be no retaliation for your claims from either the company or HR specifically, and you should feel that you are being listened to and your issues are being addressed in a formal fashion.
Everyone Should Avoid Biases
Every individual most likely has their own set of biases and points of view, but that doesn’t mean that an HR department can give in to those feelings either. Everyone is entitled to their opinion to a point, and if you feel like your human resources department may be lacking in this area, this could be a red flag for your harassment claims. HR employees should be putting their bias to the side and fully using their objectivity to assess the situation you are presenting, and start addressing the issues readily.
Contact Us
If you feel that your employer or HR department didn’t handle your harassment or discrimination issues properly, you may need support in taking this up the chain of command. Mark J. Berkowitz PA in Fort Lauderdale can help you seek justice for the wrong that was committed against you, and help you find peace during the chaos. Call us today!