Do you feel like you face discrimination on a daily basis at work? Maybe you keep getting passed over for promotions that you deserve because of your race. Maybe you hear snide comments made about you by coworkers of the opposite gender. Maybe you don’t get paid as much because of your age.
Or, perhaps you don’t even have a job yet because of the discrimination you face. Whenever you turn in an application or a resume, they say they’ll call you back and they never do. You watch as less-qualified workers take the jobs that you want. It feels like you will never have the career that you always dreamed of.
There are some very obvious financial impacts if you’re trapped in a situation like this. But you have to dig a bit deeper to see the whole picture.
For instance, did you know that some studies have linked discrimination and depression? Over the years, we have come to understand far more about how depression is a real medical condition. It can impact your daily life, whether you’re at work or not. It can mean that you have to go on medication, which you may take for the rest of your life. Without it, you may struggle with poor eating habits, a lack of motivation or even suicidal thoughts.
Discrimination is destructive on a lot of different levels, and it is illegal in the American workplace. If you are being subjected to it anyway, make sure you know what rights you have. With so much at stake, you need to take action to protect yourself.
