Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination in the Workplace

According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Discrimination charges were up slightly from last year from 99,922 to 99,947. In terms of the volume of charges by protected class, the highest percentages were:

* Retaliation - 37.4%

* Race - 35.4%

* Sex/Gender - 28.4%

* ADA/Disability - 25.8%

Nine out of ten times when you go into a business meeting, the person you are encountering for the first time has already formed an impression of you based on your communication with them up to that point. Your religion, race, height, nationality and even your gender are factors that most people make quick judgments about. Unfortunately, many of these judgments are bias and assumptions. According to Oxford dictionary, discrimination is the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather on the individual merit. My reasons for this message are to point out the effects of racial discrimination and how it can be prevented.

Discrimination against people with different physical appearance, mental illness, or a different personal preference such as homosexuality is a position where people should never find themselves in. Discrimination affects people from all over the world. People of all ethnicities and from all different walks of life are influenced in some way by workplace discrimination." One of the most common elements discriminated against is a person's ethnicity, or their race. This is called Racial Discrimination.

We've all heard the statistics about first impressions. When you meet someone for the first time, according to research at University of Pennsylvania 7% of their impression of you is based on what you say, 38% on how you say it, and a massive 55% on their appearance and manner. No wonder we worry about choosing our clothes for that all important meeting or job interview.

What are the reasons in society that causes prejudice and discrimination?

Consequently problems with discrimination are from parental discrimination, traditional labeling, and unfair generalizations. No one is born racist, sexist, or homophobic. Some parents raise their children with negative beliefs about others. This is one of the reasons why it is so hard to get rid of discrimination in our workplace. A parent who is an extremist will more than likely have negative effects on how a child will treat others. In addition traditional labeling is another cause of discrimination. Discriminatory labels have been passed down from generation to generation. For example many children engage in activities such as breaking windows, stealing fruit from other people's trees, climbing into other people's yards, or playing hooky from school. In rich neighborhoods, these acts may be viewed by parents, teachers, and police as innocent aspects of the process of growing up. In poor areas, on the other hand, these same activities might be seen as tendencies towards juvenile delinquency. This sort of labeling can easily lead to workplace bias. Lastly, unfair generalizations are another cause of discrimination. After a single person of a race or sex does something injustice, people tend to group the entire race or sex with that single person's flawed actions. This tends to happen to minorities quite often in the workplace and also in the social life. All these things that I have listed play a significant role in molding