The study also compiled a list of themes that reflect the most common examples of discrimination the employees reported. These aren't overt examples of discrimination, but rather subtle interactions.

One, was employees not feeling comfortable being themselves, whether that was behaving in a way they thought a co-worker would respond better to or not talking about personal life, like a spouse or kids. Employees also felt they are not looked at as credible, not being included on projects or considered for promotions.

Another common form of discrimination is a coworker or boss saying something racist, sexist or inappropriate and quickly trying to turn it into a joke, or saying it outside of the workplace, like at a happy hour.

Many reported feeling discredited, unfairly punished compared to other employees and that they face unconscious biases. Some respondents said this unconscious biases looked like being told they were "too aggressive" or didn't "fit the culture", but similar traits in a different employee were celebrated.

While the thought of confronting this subtle discrimination seems uncomfortable and daunting, the study's authors lay out some tools an employee can use to address the issue. These skills are important, as 60 percent of those facing discrimination say they don't know how to handle the incident in the moment and don't know how to prevent it from happening in the future.

They say when bringing up a discrimination issue, it's easier to talk about a larger pattern, rather than one incident. Employees don't want to seem they are overreacting about one comment, so keeping track of how many incidents contribute to a bad working relationship will help employees address the situation best.

They also say that subtle discrimination comes from biases, which everyone has. So when discussing how discriminatory behavior, make sure the other person doesn't feel attacked, but understands the facts of what has happened and what you want to change.