How To Write A Racial Discrimination Sample Letter

If you have been the victim of racial discrimination in the workplace, you will need to send a letter to your employer's human resources to report the incident (s).

Your employer should respond to your letter promptly and do something right away to stop this inappropriate behavior. Your letter should be detailed and laid out properly.

It should have an introduction, body, and conclusion, so it gets to the point and it provides the essential details about the racial discrimination at work that you have endured.

How Do You Write A Discrimination Letter to Human Resources?

When writing a discrimination letter to human resources (HR), you should start by making sure you have a clear subject line that gets to the point. As an example, the subject should be something like Racial Discrimination - [Your Employer's Name] Human Resources. That way, your employer will understand the importance of the letter and they will read it, and then promptly address the matter.

Next, make sure you have the address right. Send the official letter to multiple persons and be sure to keep everyone notified about the status of the complaint.

Recipients of the letter should include HR, company executives, and higher management.

In the body of your letter, detail the incident and what happened. Make sure everything is clear and be blunt. Do not sugarcoat the details.

Racial Discrimination Demand Letter You should include the date, time, and location of the incidents, and if there were any witnesses to any of the discrimination, you should indicate that there were witnesses, who they were, where they were, and what they saw.

In the final words, emphasize what you expect. You want your employer to take action and resolve the issue. You want them to put an end to this treatment, and you want to be treated fairly.

Depending on the situation, that could be a promotion, a better pay rate, a more desirable work schedule, or your job back. Get to the point and explain what you want from your employer and how you expect them to address the issue.

Let them know that if they do not respond by the deadline what action you will take. Let them know you will not just let the issue go.

What Are the Final Words In a Discrimination Demand Letter?

Carefully review your letter before you send it. Make sure it is professional. Do not let your emotions take control of the situation. Be factual and do not state opinions.

Only provide relevant details, so those investigating can get a thorough picture of the situation. Be sure to provide specific details and include dates and locations of the incidents.

Do’s and Don’ts of a Racial Discrimination Letter

One of the best ways to begin planning a letter detailing your experiences of racial discrimination in the workplace is to review a racial discrimination letter sample. Seeing how others have approached this delicate topic may help you start drafting your own letter.

It’s also helpful to keep certain do’s and don’ts in mind when writing a letter alleging racial discrimination in the workplace. When writing such a letter, you SHOULD:

Make a point of using the word “discrimination” in your letter so there is no question regarding what your allegations consist of.
Mention the names of any witnesses who can support your allegations if you’ve already spoken with them and know they will support your story.
Include any supporting documentation you may have, such as emails, chat logs, etc.
Strike a balance between being thorough and being concise.

As you draft a workplace racial discrimination letter, you SHOULD NOT:

Allow your emotions to influence the tone of the letter. Your goal is to write a letter that sounds professional.
Make any claims or allegations that you can’t substantiate.
Be vague. You can’t merely claim someone has made you feel “uncomfortable” at work. You need to explain in specific terms how someone has engaged in racial discrimination in the workplace.

It’s also important to only address the behavior that’s relevant to your racial discrimination case. You don’t need to address every single issue you have with a coworker or supervisor if certain complaints don’t strengthen your racial discrimination claims.

What Should You Include In Your Racial Discrimination Demand Letter?

Within your letter to human resources, you’ll need to include some important information. This includes:

A description of the event(s) that you believe were racial discrimination: you don’t have to go into extreme detail the event in your demand letter, but rather just mention a few key points. Then, you can reference a log or journal for human resources to look at to find out the exact details for the incidents.
Explanations of why the incident was racial discrimination: As you explain the incidents that occurred, you should also explain why they were discriminatory. It could be that the harasser has been making derogatory comments repeatedly and then only you were excluded from bonuses. Even if you think the incident is an obvious case of racial harassment, you should still explain why it is considered racial discrimination.
Information about what kind of damages you suffered: You should detail what kind of injuries the racial discrimination caused. These can be emotional, physical, or monetary. The more information about how the discrimination impacted you emotionally, physically or within your career, the easier it is to show who that the incidents were discrimination.

You may also want to submit evidence and documents with your racial discrimination demand letter to human resources. Some evidence you may want to submit include: Racial Discrimination Letter

A log detailing times, dates and descriptions of the racial discrimination at work
Copies of discriminatory messages, emails, texts, memos, etc.
Statements from witnesses who may have seen the incidents occur
Video or photos of the incidents
Copy of your employee handbook, highlighting any anti-discrimination policies
Your termination letter if applicable

Submit these to your employer’s human resources with your demand letter to help show that you were racially discriminated against at work.

Sample Discrimination Letter to Human Resources (Example Letter / Template)

If you have experienced racial discrimination in the workplace, you will need to send a letter to your human resources department to notify them. Here is an example of what a racial discrimination letter to HR looks like:

Dear Human Resources Manager,

I am employed as a warehouse worker within your company. This is a formal complaint of racial discrimination in the workplace that I have been subjected to, and this is my request that you investigate my allegations and take appropriate action to remedy it and stop it. The harasser is my coworker, Mark Jones. The following events are among those that I consider as discrimination:

On August 12, 2020, Mr. Jones approached me during our afternoon break while we were in the employee lounge. He told me that I was doing a fairly good job, but I needed to refer to him as my master. I told him I did not appreciate those comments and was offended. He simply laughed.

On August 19, 2020, I was working my shift and Mr. Jones approached me in the warehouse. He told me he did not like my haircut because people of my color didn’t wear hairstyles like that. He then said I should remember where I came from.

I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you so we can discuss this situation in person. I would like to see this matter addressed promptly and I want the harassment to stop.

Thank you for your help in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

James Smith

What Are Some Examples of Race Discrimination?

According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers cannot discriminate against workers based on several demographic factors, including race. However, far too many employers continue to discriminate based on race such as refusing to give a promotion to a qualified worker from a minority race. If you face race discrimination at work, you should follow a few steps to take corrective action.

First, you must gather and organize persuasive evidence. In our example of a denied promotion, you can submit copies of positive employee performance reviews that establish your professional credentials to advance in your organization. You also can submit the results of professional examinations that test your knowledge about the job that you want to receive a promotion for at work.

Second, contact an employment lawyer to discuss your case. An employment attorney helps you collect and organize additional documents if the lawyer feels you need to submit more convincing evidence. Your employment attorney also interviews witnesses that support your claim of race discrimination at work.

Third, you have to provide your employer with a notice of lawsuit intent if your employment lawyer recommends filing a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. State and federal courts typically prefer litigants to attempt to resolve discrimination cases before a worker files a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Finally, your attorney files a formal complaint with the EEOC, as well as a civil lawsuit, if there does not appear to be a resolution to your case forthcoming. After filing a complaint and a civil lawsuit, your employment attorney prepares you to interview with the EEOC and answer questions under oath during a civil trial.

Racial Discrimination Procedures

Every employer should have a set of procedures in place to handle racial discrimination claims. Those policies and procedures should start with a written racial discrimination policy that should be printed in the employee handbook. If it’s not in the handbook it may in the packet of information you received when you started work. If you don’t have a copy of your employer’s racial discrimination policy, ask for a copy.

There is a specific procedure used to file a racial discrimination complaint so you should ask HR for a copy of that procedure outline if you weren’t given one when you started working or if there isn’t one in the employee handbook.

You can follow the policies and procedures given by your employer to craft a letter complaining about racial discrimination in the workplace. If you’re going to file a complaint with the EEOC or with your state’s labor board those organizations may also have a specific form that you need to fill out in order to file a racial discrimination claim.

In addition to the racial discrimination complaint letter that you write you will need to submit evidence that documents your experience of racial discrimination. Include as much evidence as you can with your complaint to make your complaint stronger. Copies of emails, memos, texts, group chats, Slack or Teams messages, photos, and other evidence will help prove your complaint. If you’re not sure what evidence you should include with a racial discrimination letter to your employer you can talk to an employment attorney to get advice on your specific situation.

Can I Get Help With My Racial Discrimination Letter?

Racial Discrimination Letter Employment law claims can be challenging. If you think you are the victim of racial discrimination in the workplace, you should speak with an employment law attorney who handles such claims in your area.

When you meet with the lawyer, go over payment plans. However, your initial consultation will be free of charge.

You do have a limited time for pursuing a racial discrimination claim after an incident in the workplace, so do not wait too long to get your claim underway.

Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page to share the details of your racial discrimination in the workplace incident.

Speak with an employment lawyer for FREE!