Unfair Treatment at Work – What Can I Do?

Legally reviewed by: LLM, LPC & LLB (Hons) Shereen Murphy Updated: July 29, 2022In: Employment

What Can I Do When I’ve Been Treated Unfairly At Work?

Experiencing any form of unfair treatment at work is hard, and we understand that it can have a huge impact on your day to day life. We can help you to prove that you were treated unfairly and get the compensation that you deserve.

What is Classed as Unfair Treatment at Work?

Unfair treatment at work can include a number of different scenarios, and they are covered in different ways under UK law.

Unfair treatment at work can include:

Bullying
Discrimination
Harassment
Victimisation

If your negative experience at work has left you with no choice but to resign, get in contact to make a constructive dismissal claim.

Bullying at Work

Bullying can take a number of different forms, and it is not always obvious or noticed by others. However, bullying can be legally classed as harassment when it concerns any of the following ‘protected characteristics’:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy and Maternity
Race
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation

Bullying may happen over a period of time, or it may be the case that it is a one-off incident. If you have suffered from bullying in the workplace that you believe can be attributed to ‘protected characteristics’, we can help you to get compensation for the treatment that you have suffered.

Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination is similar to bullying in that involves these same protected characteristics. However, it can sometimes be less obvious because it is not an obvious action. It may the case that the same career opportunities are not made available to you because of a ‘protected characteristic’ that you possess. For example, your boss may discriminate against you and not put you up for promotion. We can help you if you believe you may have been subject to this treatment.

Harassment

Bullying and harassment often intersect and are again defined by whether the behaviour you have been subjected to is because of your ‘protected characteristics’. If it is, we can again help you to claim compensation at the employment tribunal.

Victimisation

Victimisation is when you are treated unfairly because you made or supported a complaint that was to do with a ‘protected characteristic’. For instance, if a fellow employee made a complaint against your boss, you supported it and then later received unfair treatment, then this is victimisation. We can help you if you have suffered from it in your workplace.

Duty of Care in the Workplace

It is generally understood that there is a physical duty of care that is afforded to employees in any workplace. However, the duty of care that employers must adhere to also covers any unreasonable psychological harm. Employers must:

Provide health and safety training
Provide specialised equipment (e.g. protective clothing)
Deal with staff grievances promptly
Take allegations of any misconduct seriously
Protect their staff from discrimination
Ensure staff do not work excessive hours
Be respectful of employee’s religions and religious holiday requests

Our expert employment law solicitors will be able to support you in making a case against your employer if you have received unfair treatment at work, and can prove that it was legally unacceptable. If you have been injured at work, may that have been as a result of an accident or due to prolonged exposure to certain conditions our industrial disease and personal injury solicitors can support you too.

Get in Touch with Our Employment Law Solicitors

Here at AWH, our experts have a great deal of experience in dealing with issues that may have arisen in the workplace and will be able to deal with your case is a sensitive and careful manner.

Get in touch