Discrimination!

One-in-five workers feel they have faced discrimination on the job. Even though there are laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, origin, disability and other characteristics…, bias and pay inequities in the workplace still remain a persistent problem. And did you know that in 2006, there were nearly 76,000 discrimination charges against private sector employers. Isn’t that shocking?!

Feelings of discrimination or unfair treatment involve ( in order of ranking):
– Not receiving credit for one’s work
– Not having concerns addressed or taken seriously
– Having co-workers talking behind one’s back
– Being overlooked for a promotion
– Not being assigned to projects that will help worker gain more visibility in the company
– Having co-workers say derogatory comments to or in front of worker
– Feeling ideas or input are generally ignored

Unfortunately, most of the allegations of discrimination or unfair treatment goes unaddressed. Half of diverse workers who experienced discrimination or unfair treatment said they did not report the incident.

If you feel like you have been the victim of discrimination, the first place you should go to is your HR department. Unfortunately, some HR folks are like carrots, colorful, but useless! :-)