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Filing a complaint may bring an end to a hostile workplace

On Behalf of | Apr 18, 2019 | Employment Law |

Most New Jersey residents have mixed feelings about going to work. Some people may love their jobs, and others may dread the mundane activities they have to complete. You may have obtained the type of job you always wanted, but you still find yourself not wanting to go to work most days. The actions of your supervisors or co-workers may contribute to these feelings.

You may be the victim of serious mistreatment on the job. Other people with whom you work may treat you unfairly due to your religion, gender, race or other protected characteristics. As a result, you may feel anxiety and stress before going into work because of the hostile environment that supervisors or co-workers have created.

What can you do?

Understandably, you may want to draw as little attention to yourself as possible in hopes of not giving your harassers more reason to bother you. However, you do not have to accept their behavior as the workplace norm. In fact, you can file a formal complaint to have your concerns addressed and to have those acting inappropriately reprimanded.

How should you file your complaint?

When your employer hired you, he or she hopefully provided you with an employee handbook with information on how to file workplace complaints. If the handbook did not have these procedures or contained vague instructions, you can still make efforts to have your complaint formally addressed. Some actions you may want to take include the following:

  • Creating a formal and well-constructed letter with information regarding the mistreatment you have faced, when the mistreatment occurred and who was involved is a wise first step. You may also want to refrain from using too much emotion in your letter and instead stick to the facts of the situation.
  • After creating your letter, give it to the appropriate individual, such as the head of the human resources department or your immediate supervisor, in person. By personally giving the letter to your superior, you can ensure that the person receives it.
  • Most likely, the letter will lead to a meeting to further explore your concerns and may include the individuals you named in your complaint along with HR representatives and your supervisors.

Understandably, this entire process may make you feel more anxious, but by exercising your rights, you may free yourself from further mistreatment in the future. Throughout the process, from creating your letter to taking legal action if necessary, an attorney could provide you with valuable help, including providing you with information on how to file your complaint and how New Jersey employment laws may influence your case.

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