Below is a list of community resources available in Yakima. We understand it can be difficult to navigate the many resources and to know which option is the best for your situation. Please know you can always call YWCA Yakima’s 24-hour helpline at 509-248-7796 (select option #3) to receive assistance connecting with meaningful resources.

Steps Workers Can Take If They Are Experiencing Racial Discrimination In The Workplace.

If you’re a victim of racial discrimination in the workplace you’re not powerless. What’s happening to you isn’t your fault, but there are things you can do to make it stop. Racial discrimination and harassment is a Federal crime. You can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to make the discrimination and harassment stop. The EEOC will investigate your employer and if your employer is found to be engaging in discrimination or creating a hostile work environment they could face criminal penalties and big fines.

Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act makes it a crime for any employer to discriminate against employees based on their race, color, gender, identity, orientation, religion, or place of birth. When you file a complaint with the EEOC if you live in one of the 44 states that has an agreement with the EEOC the state labor board will also open an investigation against your employer. The EEOC will send copies of all of your complaint paperwork to the state labor board so that the state can investigate. You won’t have to file two complaints.

What Are Examples of Racial Discrimination?

If you’re experiencing any of these common types of discrimination you should file a complaint with the EEOC:

• Not getting promoted
• If you were supposed to receive a promotion or a raise and you didn’t receive either one but other people did that’s discrimination.
• Dress code restrictions
• If the dress code at your place of employment specifically forbids things like wearing natural hair styles, wearing locs or braids, or wearing head coverings that’s discrimination.
• Racial slurs or demeaning comments
• Any and all types of racially demeaning or derogatory comment or images are discrimination. Slurs, promoting stereotypes, or offensive imagery are also discrimination even if your coworkers try to pass them off as “jokes” and tell you that you’re “too sensitive”. You’re not, and it is harassment.
• Paying some employees less than others
• If you’re not being paid the same as other workers that are doing the same job that’s discrimination.

Next Steps to Take

When you’re experiencing discrimination at work it is important to make sure that your boss and the HR department know about it because they might not be aware that it’s happening. To inform them of what’s happening make a list of every incident of racial discrimination that you’ve experienced. Make sure that you include a summary of the event, when it happened, and who did it. Also make sure that you have any supporting evidence that you can find like copies of documents, videos, screen shots, or print outs. Take everything you have to your boss and HR. Demand that they stop the harassment immediately. If they won’t help you or refuse to admit there’s a problem go directly to the EEOC’s website and file a complaint.

Remedies for Racial Discrimination

If your employer is violating the Civil Rights Act there are stiff punishments for that. Your employer could be forced to pay fines of up $10,000 per incident of harassment or discrimination. They also could be forced to give you a promotion if you were denied one that you were owed. You could receive lump sums for back pay and for pain and suffering or other damages.

Resources:

www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination

www.employmentlawhelp.org/discrimination/prove-racial-discrimination

www.eeoc.gov/statistics/washington

www.employmentlawhelp.org/discrimination/remedies-racial-discrimination