What is discrimination? In general, discrimination occurs when someone is treated differently because of a particular characteristic, such as where they come from, their gender, hair colour, height, weight, religious beliefs, disability, health issues, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation and age.
In some cases, discrimination has occurred in various aspects of employment and has affected decisions relating to hiring, promotion, demotion, remuneration packages, performance reviews, work assignments, shift allocation, or even termination of employment.
Discrimination issues in the workplace have been a hot topic for a long time and considering the fact that the workplace is becoming increasingly diverse, they are likely to continue to attract the same attention in the future.
Harassment
Harassment occurs when an employee or group of employees must endure a work environment that is hostile, offensive or intimidating to them.
Conduct which makes a person feel harassed is harassment even though that may not have been the intention of the harasser. There are two types of harassment: quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment harassment.
Quid pro quo harassment arises mainly in a sexual context. When a supervisor demands sexual favours, and, if the employee does not agree, they then suffer "a significant change in employment status, such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits."
Sexual harassment is a type of gender discrimination. It is any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. It is any offensive conduct related to an employee's gender that a reasonable woman or man should not have to endure.
Hostile work environment harassment involves workplace conditions that are sufficiently severe to alter the conditions of the victim's employment and create an abusive working environment. Simple teasing, off-hand comments, isolated incidents, and the sporadic use of abusive language and gender-related jokes do not constitute sexual harassment
Harassing conduct includes things like mockery; demeaning jokes and cartoons relating to race, religion, gender, political affiliation, etc.; implied and explicit threats of violence; sexual assault; physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct which is unwanted by the individual target; ongoing e-mail distribution of inappropriate materials related to race, religion, gender, etc.
It can also be that an employee, supervisor, co-employee, or subordinate can create a hostile work environment for another employee. Be aware that even third parties such as clients, vendors, and customers can create a hostile work environment for an employee, and these people can be subject to investigation.
Age discrimination
It has been reported that age discrimination appears to be on the rise. Our workforce is aging. The percentage of older workers is significantly increasing. With a slow economy, it becomes more difficult for workers to find jobs or to remain in jobs. Older workers who are perceived as less productive or short-term employees, may be finding it harder to get jobs as well as facing possible layoff or being denied promotion.
The rapid pace of technological change has almost instantly changed job requirements or eliminated jobs altogether leaving older workers with seemingly outdated skills.
The old adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" seems to stick in people's minds, with the thought that the older a person gets, the less they can learn. There is a sense that age discrimination is more acceptable, more tolerated.
Age discrimination runs both ways.
According to a new study, older workers are just as likely to discriminate against younger workers. Younger workers say they hit a wall when competing for promotions against older workers. At the same time, the study found that managers are less likely to promote older workers, and younger workers complained they were also underpaid.
Overweight people
Are overweight people discriminated against in work settings? Female applicants can quite often be susceptible to such biases. Despite the fact that little evidence exists regarding performance problems associated with overweight people, most of the discrimination against overweight people is not likely to be considered illegal.
However, supervisors and employers are advised to avoid the type of callous or off-hand remarks or behaviours that could encourage individuals to take legal action. Large people who can be subjected to harassment about their weight are sometimes kept in jobs beneath their abilities, and have been known to be demoted or fired because of unstated weight prejudice.
Bullying
Bullying is perceived as being slightly different as it is intentional. While each individual incident, taken in isolation, may not be seen as bullying, it is important to understand, that each incident is actually building on the last and is therefore to be taken very seriously.
Bullying can be defined as the persistent use of offensive and inconsiderate behaviour which gradually undermines and chips away at a person's self-esteem and confidence.
Bullying does not include constructive criticism of behaviour or performance by the manager; more often than not, such criticism may further undermine the confidence of a person already under the effect of this type of harassment and as such, poor performance may well be a direct result of this harassment.
It becomes a vicious circle - the more the employee is harassed and told to "pull up their socks", the worse they become as they begin to believe in the words and the comments that are being said to them. Bullying is not always visible, but can be a silent enemy, not always seen by those in senior positions.
A manager who shouts at and/or openly belittles his staff in front of others, or who humiliates to control, is building up resentment and hostility in these employees, in a way he would never have imagined possible.
Being quietly sarcastic one minute and then trying to be a "friend" the next, not only enhances the resentment but also creates a sense of confusion and uncertainty. A Jekyll and Hyde syndrome.
Disability discrimination
It is common to see job advertisements which state that the company holds an "equal opportunities policy". This is a good sign and one which, if the statement is to be believed, means the company will only look at your ability to do the job and not at your disabilities, race or sex as a barrier.
Many companies have a positive attitude towards employing people with a disability, claiming that disabled people are willing to put more effort into their job if given the opportunity. They can empathise better with customers and are more likely to see a job through. But not all employers are the same.
Obviously, some jobs are just not suited for disabled people. Serious consideration must be given to the nature of the disability, how it will affect job performance and the safety of all involved.
Some of the larger organisations state that they will guarantee an interview with a disabled person. There are many able-bodied people who think this is unfair and say this is reverse discrimination. The point is that disabled people do not always get the same consideration when applying for jobs.
Generally, able-bodied people are able to apply for more jobs and have a better chance of getting those jobs in comparison.
Many victims of discrimination do not complain (www.cartoonwork.com). Discrimination at work is in nobody's interest. Both employers and employees are in a no loss situation.
The employer can expect significantly higher sickness rates, high employee turnover with the high cost of training and retraining, exceedingly low workforce morale and poor industrial relations, while the employees can expect higher levels of stress, a miserable working environment and stress-related illnesses!
People who have been subjected to a form of discrimination do not always complain but suffer in silence because they hope it will stop, are too embarrassed, don't want to cause trouble, fear they will be told it was self-provoked, no one will take them seriously or believe them.
But most of all, they don't complain because the offender is in a more senior position, and they fear for their job security.
CSB Employment Agency has been supporting the local business community with its services since 1987. For further information call us on tel. 2122 5800 or 2124 6543, fax: 2123 0520, e-mail jobs@ vacancycentre.com, or visit www.VacancyCentre.com.