Complaints about discrimination
Discrimination is when you are treated worse than other people because of your:
- Sex
- Race or Colour
- Disability
- Nationality
- Ethnic or National Origin
- Religion or Belief
- Sexuality
- Age
This list is not exhaustive.
To find out more see ‘Links to further information'.
Facing problems at work can be daunting, especially when the problem involves discrimination. People often don’t complain about it because they worry it will be seen as an over-reaction, or that complaining will only make things worse. But no one should have to suffer discrimination at work; that is why there are laws to ensure employers put a stop to it.
What would be a valid complaint about discrimination?
Sometimes it’s obvious when you have grounds to make a complaint about discrimination - for example, if someone makes offensive comments about your sexuality or your ethnicity. But it’s not always as clear-cut as that. Maybe you are being given worse jobs than everyone else and you believe the real reason is one of the discrimination issues listed above. Another type of discrimination is when there are rules which apply to everyone, but which are harder for you to follow, for example, because of your religion or sex etc.
You can raise a grievance if any of these kinds of discrimination are happening at your work. It doesn't even have to be you that is suffering from the discrimination, you can raise a grievance about discrimination happening to somebody else.
Unfortunately it’s a fact of life that we don’t all get on with each other. You might not have a valid complaint if it’s just a personality clash or you don’t like a particular management style.
"I was really stressed because I was being sexually harassed at work, and I worried that complaining would only encourage them. But raising a grievance was the best thing I could have done. My employers investigated and upheld my complaint. My work apologised to me, re-located me at my request, and gave me some compensation. As for the bullies, the worst offender got the sack and the others got formal warnings."
Shaira, Ipswich
What happens if you make a grievance?
The process:
1. You have a problem or complaint in relation to your work.
This is a grievance.
2. Follow your work’s grievance procedure.
Every employer must have a grievance procedure.
3. If your work fails to sort out the problem you may be able to go to an employment tribunal.
An employment tribunal is a less formal court which deals with disputes about employment.
For more information about what counts as discrimination and who is protected from it at work, see our indepth guide Discrimination at work
