If you believe you have been the victim of harassment at your workplace for reasons of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or age, you need to consult with an employment attorney to see what your options may be. But before you make an appointment, you need to understand that you need to provide as much information about the harassment as possible. At that time, an attorney may be able to make a determination of whether you have grounds to bring a legal action, but how strong the case is will depend upon the documentation surrounding the harassment. The following are a few things that a lawyer will need.

Evidence of harassment

You need to gather as much evidence as possible. What this evidence constitutes will depend upon the type of workplace harassment that is involved. In the case of sexual harassment, there may be physical evidence, such as graffiti left on a locker or items left on your desk that are clearly meant to harass you because of your gender. Photos you have taken of anything that may serve as evidence can be given to an attorney. In addition, the names and contact information of any witnesses that can verify even a single incident at work can be helpful to an attorney.

Your income from work

This can take the form of pay stubs or payment records if the payments are made by way of direct deposit. It is not uncommon for people who have suffered harassment at work to take time off for psychological reasons and even physical problems that have developed due to stress at work. An attorney will need to know how this stress has affected your income over time.

Your personnel records

Some of the most important evidence for harassment can be found in your employment records. You shouldn't worry if there are negative things in your record because this is common for employees who are being harassed. They may suddenly get bad reviews for their job performance, especially when they complain about harassment. This is retaliation and is common for any worker that comes forward with an accusation of harassment. Along with your employment records, an attorney will want to see any medical records that may relate to your health due to workplace harassment.

Harassment can take many forms in the workplace, and it can occur for a variety of reasons. If you begin to complain about it, there is the common issue of retaliation for speaking up. An employment attorney may be able to help you, but you need to understand that the case needs to be proved. Before you consult with an attorney, collect as much evidence as possible. If you seem to have a case, the attorney will likely want additional information, such as your personnel file, income records, and any evidence that you have collected yourself.

Reach out to an employment lawyer in your area for more information.