Receiving offensive remarks or being joked about and discriminated against for something that you were born with and cannot change about yourself can be very upsetting. Someone who experiences discrimination based on their race may suffer from various mental health issues due to working in a hostile environment for a prolonged period of time.
Racially discriminatory remarks can indeed take a heavy toll on a person’s emotional health. It may even cause conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic stress. Fortunately, there are legal ways to protect yourself. A San Antonio employment lawyer can discuss your options with you.
Does racism affect a person’s mental health?
Racism is still very relevant in the world, and we are all aware of it. If you are a person of color, chances are you may have faced racial discrimination at least once in your life. While occasional offensive remarks here and there do not hurt a person and are easy to forget, offenses that happen on a daily basis can be difficult to deal with.
When you experience racial discrimination at your workplace by your employer or your co-workers, it may start with feelings of annoyance or irritation. However, if the behavior persists, it may create a hostile work environment. You may feel demotivated and become sad even at the thought of going to work.
The employer may demote you to a lower position with lesser pay, stop you from working more hours, or fail to give you your wages properly. All are signs of racial discrimination in the workplace and can deteriorate your mental health.
When you are constantly mistreated at work, you may slowly start feeling hopeless and miserable, leading to emotional loss.
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Can you recover compensation for emotional distress caused by racial discrimination?
If your employer has discriminated against you, you are entitled to recover monetary damages caused by pain and suffering and other non-economic damages. Emotional distress can cover a wide range of damages, including:
- Sleeplessness
- Reputational harm
- Strained relationship with family and friends
- diagnosed psychiatric condition (insomnia, depression, PTSD)
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
Getting fired from a job, especially when you did not do anything wrong, can leave you feeling hopeless and demotivated to work again. You must hold your employer accountable for their unlawful actions and gain monetary compensation for what they put you through.
How to prove emotional distress?
Since emotional distress comes under non-economic damages, it can be a little tricky to gather evidence to prove it. Primarily two pieces of evidence come into play here-
- Testimony from your friends and family.
- Testimony from a mental health professional.
An attorney can help you collect the essential evidence and bring the highest possible compensation for you.