Have you been harassed or discriminated against someone or something? Or, do you know what harassment or discrimination is?

Discrimination and harassment are both attacking the mental or psychological equilibrium of a victim. They are meant to degrade, demean or insult the person. The former is being singled out for unfavorable treatment, whereas the latter, is a violation of a person's dignity as what Karolinska Institutet 2007 Handling Discrimination or Harassment Among Employees states on their handbook.

On her article What Is The Legal Definition of Harassment?, Jennifer Maughan says that harassment is any physical or verbal abuse of a person because of her race, religion, age, gender, disability or any other legally protected status. She further adds, that harassment in the workplace can further be clarified as any conduct that creates significant anguish to another person, with the intent to bother, scare or emotionally abuse her.

The said article also enumerates kinds of harassment:

Harassment can be sexual or overt sexual advances; gender harassment which means to demean someone because of her/his gender-- where homosexuals like lesbians, gays or transgenders belong; religious harassment which includes jokes, teasing about someone's beliefs, clothing, etc.; racial harassment which includes any gestures, jokes or words that offends someone; age harassment which includes negative treatments because of one's age say, to disenfranchise someone of employment, promotion, or force to retire early. Latest form is online harassment or " cyberstalking" where the culprit use the internet to harass people.

If a co-worker treats you badly, say any of the above ways, or harassing you to the point that you do not even think sanely because of it, you have a number of ways to confront the issue. Let me remind you that you have the legal right to work in an environment free of discrimination and harassment. Now if those co-workers are ignorant of these--and ignorance excuses no one-- you are the perfect person to teach them Anti-Discrimination/Harassment 101 lesson, for them to cringe in fear and to stop all the abuses.

Here are ways to bring back your sanity and regain your self-respect, dignity and the like as their co-worker:

1. Journaling

Write down everything they said, when where and who the people around. This way, you have your notes to vouch for you when they deny the said incident/s.

2. Talk to the supervisor

Let him/her know that you have an issue with a co-worker. According to Anti-Discrimination Board, Australia an employer must act immediately on complaints about discrimination or harassment.

3. Go to higher authorities

In case your employer or supervisor did not do something immediately report the incident to your grievance committee, union president, ombudsman or any agencies that could help you get justice you greatly deserve.

If all fails, it is better to change job than do measures beyond decency and the law.

Yes, discrimination and harassment are zapping the energy of the worker whose only dream is to work in an environment where people with decency, integrity, and the like is an everyday scenario. Sad to say, despite these things, there are still few who do not know what is proper thing to do when their rights have been trampled on by a misguided co-worker, superior or you know what.

I hope my article has been a great help to you and make you think sanely. If your rights are being trampled on by those around you, do not hesitate to seek justice by asking good people around about proper ways of dealing with it, sans losing your own sanity.

The author is a mentor of teachers in elementary grades in the Philippines. Aside from being a grade school teacher, he is also contributing articles to magazines just to make good use of his spare time. He has joined writing contest in the past, but until now, he is dreaming of bagging an award! This is why, he is now trying his luck in this endeavor--blogging-- to find his niche and somewhere, somehow find a way of publishing a book.