Workplace discrimination can ruin your life. Not only can it rob you of your career advancement and even your job, but it can also harm your reputation, cause emotional turmoil and leave you financially struggling. Fortunately, if your employer has discriminated against you, you’re not forced to sit back and accept what they’ve done to you. Instead, you can fight to advocate for a fair and favorable outcome through the legal system, which will require you to act. In many instances, this will mean filing a workplace discrimination claim against your employer seeking accountability and compensation for the harm that’s been caused to you.
While you can litigate your case in court, many of these claims wind up settling behind closed doors. Although that option may allow you to escape a significant amount of contentiousness and lead to the timelier recovery of compensation, settlement negotiations is a process that’s fraught with risks. That’s why in this post we want to look at some of the mistakes in your case that could inadvertently leave you with a bad outcome.
Mistakes to avoid when negotiating settlement of your workplace discrimination claim
There are multiple ways to approach your workplace discrimination settlement negotiations. But there are some common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid. These include the following:
- Misunderstanding the harm that’s been caused to you: Workplace discrimination can cause extensive harm to your wellbeing and your future. But you won’t know if a settlement is right unless you understand the amount of harm that’s been caused. So, think through not only the wages that you’ve lost due to an adverse employment decision or a missed opportunity attributable to workplace discrimination, but also the mental toll that’s been taken on you and any funds that you’ve expended to try to make yourself more marketable after experiencing workplace discrimination.
- Rushing settlement: It’s understandable that you’d want the quick infusion of cash that’s oftentimes promised through settlement, but moving through the process too quickly can leave you at a disadvantage. In fact, you might lose out on otherwise easily recoverable compensation by settling your case too fast. So, when an offer is made, slow down and think through whether it’s truly in your best interests to take it considering the facts of your case.
- Trying to navigate the process on your own: There’s a lot to cope with when navigating workplace discrimination and its ramifications. It can be so isolating, in fact, that you can fall into a vicious cycle of despair and hopelessness. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, you can find support and guidance from those you trust, which will hopefully clear your mind so that you can make clear-headed decisions that are right for you.
Competently navigate your workplace discrimination case
You only get one chance to find accountability and recover compensation for the harm that’s been caused to you by workplace discrimination. Therefore, you have to be diligent about how you build and present your case. We know it can be tricky to figure out how to do that when you’re unfamiliar with the law and when you’re trying to get back on your feet, but that’s why you should discuss the matter with your attorney. By doing so, you’ll hopefully craft a strong and compelling case that positions you for the successful outcome that you want and deserve. Hopefully then you can finally put this matter behind you and can move forward with life.