Addressing Workplace Discrimination with Trainings and Policies Report

Introduction

In the business sphere, paying attention to human resource management is essential. This is because this aspect of the organization’s activities is of critical importance as it ensures the company’s most productive and competitive activities. However, there may be quite a large number of issues in this area that may worsen the performance of personnel. In the context of globalization, this problem concerns the construction of a diverse workplace that is devoid of bias and discrimination against representatives distinctive from dominant cultures. Measures such as educating and training employees, establishing communication channels, and creating policies aimed at equality can help limit such a business problem as discrimination.

The Problem of Workplace Discrimination

First of all, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the problem of discrimination in the workplace and the effect it can have on employees and overall business performance. Research stated that it is “unfair terms or conditions (e.g., reduced opportunity) or negative treatment based on personal characteristics or membership in a particular social group such as race, sex or age” (Fekedulegn et al., 2019, p. 2). This problem may have both physical and psychological impacts on individuals, which may affect their productivity and work efficiency. Due to discrimination and bias on the part of the staff, employees can be exposed to a lot of stress and anxiety, which can lead to severe mental disorders, such as depression or dismissal. This has negative consequences for the organization since these circumstances directly affect the performance of the business. In case of dismissal of employees, managers will have to spend a significant amount of resources to find and train a new employee, which can be invested in the development of the team and the company.

Potential Solutions to the Problem

Employee Training

The first approach that can be used to combat discrimination in the workplace and promote concepts of equality is to conduct educational initiatives with employees of the organization. Before performing this kind of initiative, human resource managers need to determine the scope and severity of the problem. In addition, an important step is to pay attention to the criteria by which bias and negative attitudes toward individuals are most often manifested. In the context of globalization, the issue arises most often because of cultural differences that occur when attracting foreign workers.

Therefore, based on the problems deduced, it is necessary to build an educational program to fulfill several goals. Among them is the expansion of awareness about the different cultures and values of equality and skills required when working in this environment. Moreover, it is essential for such training to “be intensive, interactive, and delivered as part of a broader organizational effort to promote diversity” (Roberson et al., 2020, p. 43). If these conditions are met, the training program can be effective in solving the problem of discrimination in the workplace.

Policy Implementation

Another step that is equally important is the introduction and development of policies that will promote and strengthen equality in the organization. This measure will be beneficial for business, as it will foster the concepts under consideration at the organizational level, which will allow them to spread to all company processes. In other words, the policy on limiting discrimination and promoting equality should include rules on non-tolerance of bias against employees and measures to combat this issue. It is noted that “it may also help to create procedures that increase the amount of time that evaluation committees spend discussing attributes that favor systematically disappointed candidates” (Gawronski et al., 2020, p. 104). Thus, managers are faced with the task of creating a comprehensive policy that affects all possible organizational issues related to discrimination.

Communication Channels

In close connection with the previous aspect, it becomes necessary to create communication channels. This aspect implies the establishment of ways to transfer essential information between all levels of business functioning. Therefore, if a problem related to discrimination arises, individuals can file a complaint with managers, who in turn will be able to transmit information about the issue further to the company’s managers. Thus, the staff will have a sense of worthiness and that they are encouraged and can be heard. This aspect also implies the training of leaders and supervisors who will deal with this problem and provide assistance and advice to employees who are faced with this problem.

Conclusion

In conclusion, problems related to human resources are particularly critical for any business since it is on this component that such aspects as productivity and efficiency of activities depend. One of the main problems in this area is discrimination and the need for a concept of equality in the workplace. To limit this issue, it is necessary to take measures to establish communication channels in the company, introduce specialized training, and develop policies. These steps will have a positive impact on the work of the staff and the creation of the most comfortable and favorable environment in the organization.

References

Fekedulegn, D., Alterman, T., Charles, L. E., Kershaw, K. N., Safford, M. M., Howard, V. J., & MacDonald, L. A. (2019). Prevalence of workplace discrimination and mistreatment in a national sample of older US workers: The REGARDS cohort study.SSM-Population Health, 8, 1-9. Web.

Gawronski, B., Ledgerwood, A., & Eastwick, P. W. (2020). Implicit bias and antidiscrimination policy. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7(2), 99-106. Web.

Roberson, Q., King, E., & Hebl, M. (2020). Designing more effective practices for reducing workplace inequality. Behavioral Science & Policy, 6(1), 39-49. Web.