A whopping 91% of workers report that they have faced workplace discrimination.
Yes, you read that right.
New data reveals that just 9% of today's workforce has not faced some form of workplace discrimination — whether it's based on race, gender, disability status, age, weight or another identifying factor.
That's according to Monster's recent Workplace Discrimination Poll, which surveyed more than 3,000 employees and highlights the continued prevalence of discrimination at work.
The staggering statistic leaves Monster career expert Vicki Salemi at a "loss for words," she tells CNBC Make It.
What's more, the data reveals that workplace discrimination starts as early as the hiring process. In fact, 50% of those surveyed report they have experienced age-based discrimination in the job application process, while 40% of workers say that they have experienced racial discrimination in the hiring process.
Although such a strong majority of employees have faced discrimination, only 28% feel comfortable reporting an incident they see or experience at work.
Among the most important things to do despite this data is to arm yourself with information and documentation, Salemi says. Here are her top pieces of advice for all employees as today's workforce continues to grapple with workplace discrimination.
'Speak up. Document things.'
It is vital to speak up when you witness discriminatory instances, Salemi says. But that doesn't make it easy.
Only 44% of workers feel comfortable reporting discriminatory incidents to a company-provided anonymous reporting resource, the Monster data reveals. Additionally, only 21% of employees feel comfortable reporting discriminatory behavior to a manager and 33% of workers feel comfortable reporting to HR.
It is extremely valid to be scared of retaliation, Salemi says. But there are still steps you can take to be proactive for yourself and others.
"We can do a few things. No. 1 is to speak up and document things," she says. "Were there any witnesses? What was the time? What was spoken? Is there an email?"
Writing down everything you see and experience at work allows you to keep a record of workplace discrimination that you can use if you decide to speak up later. Communicating with colleagues to discuss your experience can also be a helpful step, Salemi adds.
If you're not comfortable speaking up to someone within your company, seeking guidance from an outside employment attorney could be beneficial.
Learn what your company's policy is — and what to do if it doesn't have one
No matter the size of your company, its anti-discrimination policy should be clear and accessible, Salemi says.
Yet 45% of workers are unaware of their company's workplace discrimination policies, Monster's data reveals. Learning where your company stands — and what reporting structures are in place should discrimination occur — is an important step for all workers to take.
While the onus is not on employees to prevent discrimination in the first place, information can only help you, Salemi says. These policies will help you know what your rights are as an employee and what your company believes will allow you to be better prepared to handle discriminatory behavior if takes place at work.
And if you find out that your company does not have a clearly outlined policy against workplace discrimination, consider speaking up, Salemi adds.
"If you have an HR policy manual, and [the policy] is not there, you may want to speak up and say, 'I noticed that our company doesn't have a workplace discrimination policy. And I think we should. Is there any way to go about having one?''" Salemi says.
While speaking up can be daunting, it may help prevent future incidents in your future workplace. Yet, Salemi underscores that it is not the employees' job to fix the workplace culture. Taking small steps to be proactive, though, can't hurt.
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