Today’s modern workplace is one that is inclusive, diverse, and collaborative. This is partly due to advancing technologies like the internet and open concepts and environments.
People from all over the world are more connected than they’ve ever been before because there is a need to collaborate for the projects they are working on and produce an outcome that is favorable for them and the company in general.
There is also more care for the company’s culture and the employees’ morale, mental health, and work-life balance. By making these a priority, employees have become more productive and happy, and the company more successful. However, this is not the case for all organizations.
Defining Workplace Discrimination
Recently, discrimination has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds. All over the world, many instances of discrimination, ranging from gender, race, age, disability, citizenship status, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, religion, and national origin, to name a few, have been put in the global spotlight.
Unfortunately, the majority of these types of discrimination occur in the workplace. Work or employment discrimination can be defined as treating someone in the workplace differently or less favorably than others because of their race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity, and so on.
Employment discrimination also includes harassment by managers and co-workers, denial of reasonable workplace change based on religious beliefs or disability, improper questions about or disclosure of genetic or medical information, and retaliation from the company after an employee files an investigation or lawsuit against them.
There are many instances of unconscious bias and workplace discrimination, some beginning even before an employee starts working with the company. Even during the hiring process, a company can discriminate against an applicant.
Common Types of Discrimination and Their Effects
The International Labour Organization (ILO) blames the continuing discrimination on prejudices, stereotypes, and biased institutions that have resisted legal efforts and policy measures made by governments, organizations, workers, and employers against unequal treatment at the workplace.
The most common types are subconscious and systematic or institutionalized discrimination. Subconscious discrimination or unconscious bias is the behavior that stems from learned stereotypes that will automatically show up when interacting with people. This type can be harder to prove because it is more subtle unless reflected in its atmosphere.
Systematic or institutionalized discrimination occurs regularly in the workplace because it is an inherent part of its culture and practices, thereby creating a disadvantage for people who are different from their more preferred employees.
Aside from being morally wrong, discrimination in the workplace often traps people in low paid, informal economy jobs. Meaning, the discriminated population will get stuck in the worst jobs and be denied benefits, social protection, training, capital, land, or credit. What’s more, women are more likely to be engaged in the more invisible and undercounted activities than men.
The ILO presented a report that shows those who suffer from discrimination, particularly based on their sex and race, face a persistent equality gap. This gap divides them from dominant groups who enjoy a better life or benefit from anti-discrimination laws and policies.
Workplace Discrimination in Numbers
Since it was established in1997, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been investigating charges of discrimination against an employee or job applicant and enforcing laws that protect employee rights. It has received over 1.8 million complaints since then.
Workplace discrimination is illegal in the U.S.; however, studies have also shown that despite state and federal laws addressing discrimination based on race, there are still biases against hiring black and Hispanic employees in over two decades.
Of the 1,889,631 discrimination complaints EEOC received from 1997 to 2018, 49% were cases of retaliation, 34% were race-related, 32% disability, and over 30% were based on sex. From the total number of cases, 64% were officially dismissed as having found no issue after investigation, while only 3.2% were considered for legal action.
In addition, 18.3% were closed for administrative reasons, 8.1% were settled, 4.8% were withdrawn by the charging party, and 1.4% resulted in an informal resolution between parties. According to the government agency, cases closed for administrative reasons include the charging party deciding not to pursue the case, lack of communication, or withdrawal request from the charging party.
Steps to Take Against Discrimination
In light of the high numbers of discrimination cases, companies should work hard in eradicating workplace discrimination. But this can be done successfully only if everyone is involved in promoting a culture of equality and diversity and equal opportunities for all. Here are some ways to reduce and eradicate workplace discrimination in your company:
- Analyze your current employee population and form a committee for equality and diversity. Ensure that the members came from diverse backgrounds. Set goals and policies that would enable the company and the employees to grow. A company that embraces diversity will reap the benefits of having a wider talent pool, which translates to improved productivity, a broader market, and a raised profile within the community.
- During the hiring process or recruitment, treat all applicants fairly and equally. Evaluate each against the same set of criteria. Another way to evaluate applicants fairly is to have a panel interview so that more than one person gets to decide who the best candidate out of all the applicants is.
- In terms of compensation and benefits, ensure that no employee is compensated any more or less than their other colleagues based on their race, sex, gender identity, religion, or disability. Offer the same benefits that all employees in that level are enjoying. For employees with children, offer both maternity and paternity leaves.
- Review your current work policies and processes, or ask a lawyer to review them for you. Make changes wherever necessary. These may include implementing a comprehensive equal opportunities policy, training employees in sensitivity and diversity issues, providing accommodations for those with disabilities, and setting disciplinary actions. Establish open communication to report incidences of discrimination and treat them seriously, sensitively, and confidentially.
- In the office, install wheelchair ramps and other accessibility options. Have a room where employees can do prayers, mothers can pump milk, and they can have some quiet time. Make sure that all employees can access the same office facilities and amenities.
- When it comes to promoting an employee, ensure that all have an equal opportunity for promotion regardless of their sex, gender identity, race, etc. At the same time, provide equal opportunity for training and ensure that everyone has access to mentors.
End Discrimination Today
Discrimination in the workplace will not vanish by itself, but failure to eradicate it helps perpetuate poverty, creating an intricate web wherein the discriminated will continue to experience a low quality of life or social exclusion.
By eliminating discrimination, individuals, businesses, and society at large will benefit: a boost in one’s self-esteem and morale, enhanced productivity and competitiveness of companies, and a better economy.
