Gender discrimination is something that can hold back your career, and it can affect the amount of money you earn over a lifetime. It can even reduce the quality of your life because your workplace is an important component of your happiness. Unfortunately, gender discrimination can be subtle and difficult to prove. The following are a few ways a woman can experience discrimination because of gender and a few things you should know.

Verbal sexual harassment

Sexual harassment can take the form of words. These words are not only disrespectful, but are a form of harassment that men seldom subjected to. If this happens, you need to make it clear that the comment is not welcomed. Sometimes this is enough, but when it become persistent, it can make your job difficult, as well as miserable. When you begin to experience this, you need to make sure that you tell your supervisor. Large companies will often have a policy and a process that is handled through the human resources department. Although it may seem tedious, any process available needs to be followed before you seek a legal solution. This is important because an attorney will have information to work with.

Less work pay and benefits compared to men

Women are often paid less money, but it is also difficult to prove. Many companies have policies of not discussing each other's pay. However, one way or another, many employees do. For this reason, you may believe you are not getting the same pay for the same work, but you won't have any way to document this. But you can begin to write down names of people who have spoken about their salaries, along with the amount. Women are usually more forthcoming because they want equal pay, but men may often speak of their salaries without realizing they are getting paid more. Make sure you take as many notes as you can.

A lack of promotions compared to men

This is related to unequal pay. Although it is true that women are often paid less for the same job, their salaries are also kept down by suppressing their advancement at the company. One way to look for this type of discrimination is to compare your time at the company with men who have received promotions. Not every promotion is related to seniority, but at some point, you will notice several men advancing in the company, while you stay at the same level. This becomes more obvious with larger companies, and should not be ignored by a woman.

If you feel you are being discriminated in the workplace because of your gender, you should first go through whatever channels are available at the company you work for. If there is no satisfactory remedy, document as much of the situation as you can, and consult with an attorney familiar with gender discrimination law.

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