Summary
This document discusses reasons as to why discrimination is a barrier in the work environment. It is apparent that discrimination in the work place involves some practices that depict a form of favoritism towards groups or individuals from a certain tribe, sex or even a religion. This document explains how this practice has adversely affected the entire working environment. Therefore, the practice eventually has resulted to low production, since workers do not devote themselves to work fully.
Moreover, activities geared to limiting discrimination cases waste much time for the management team, thus the company end up recording losses. A different point illustrated by this essay is how employment discrimination for women has resulted to a barrier in accessing some life necessities. Finally, the essay indicates cases of companies that have failed to comply with some legislative acts on the issue of discrimination.
In plain terms, discrimination in the workplace refers to the act of treating an employee differently from the rest. This discrimination involves acts that either favors or disfavors a category of employees.
The majority of the discrimination cases in the work place have a strong basis for one’s race, gender, nationality, just to mention a few of them (Dipboye & Colella 2005, p. 150). It is perceptible that such a practice has several unfavorable effects to the working environment. Therefore, this essay uses numerous examples to explain why discrimination is a barrier in the working environment.
Discrimination is a barrier in the working environment because of its numerous negative effects it presents. With respect to a new study, discrimination creates a poor, working environment; therefore, making it hard to accomplish duties effectively (Lawn 2009, p. 3). Currently, the working place consists of people from diverse cultural settings. Therefore, discriminating an individual who is from a certain tribe or culture may pose adverse effects, not only to the victim but also to the entire group from which they originate.
Barriers emanating from the atmosphere created by such practices include poor communication, which also deteriorates the once strong relationship existing amid workers. Moreover, employees in the workplace usually develop mistrust and hatred amongst themselves, which eventually results into poor performance. At diverse locations in Australia, the majority of companies have failed to attain their goals, due to an escalated rate of discrimination (Lawn 2009, p. 17).
- Discrimination creates a poor working environment.
- The working place consists of individuals from diverse settings and its, therefore, advisable to treat them equally.
- Poor communication at the work place affects the workers relationship negatively, thus the poor performance.
- The majority of Australian companies experience high chances of hatred and mistrust, which is because of discrimination.
The latest study conducted on the working pregnant women in Australia showed a disparity in the strategy used by employers when giving maternity leave. Although it is a legislative act for pregnant women unpaid maternity leave entitlement, the study indicates only an approximated 60% can access it.
This ratio is significantly slow bearing in mind that it is a legislative action, which targets all qualified employees. Because of misinformation of the employees, majority of them regard such an entitlement as a privilege, therefore, ending up not applying for it when giving birth. The study also depicted that 54% of the pregnant women relied on sick-offs since they could not get paid parental leave (Gregory 2003, p. 5).
It was pathetic to note a rise in proportion of women suffering from pregnancy related discrimination. For example, employers depict such discrimination by usage of insults, being humiliating, as well as false comments (Haque & Haque 2009, p. 84). Therefore, women experience psychological and emotional imbalances, which negatively lower their support in the workplace.
- In Australia, discrimination when giving maternity leave to different category of women is a barrier towards success.
- Only 60% of all employed women can access the maternity leave, and this is because of misinformation.
- An approximated 54% of pregnant women rely on sick-offs.
- Sources have indicated a rise in insults directed towards pregnant women, which have negatively affected their working morale.
Moreover, discrimination in the workplace is a barrier because it has led to loss of focus in companies, thus lowering the production rate. It is clear that diverse countries across the globe highly discourage employee discrimination (Rees, Lindsay & Rice 2008, p. 300). Therefore, countries have devised strategies aimed at limiting these events. The process of enacting legislative measures is time demanding.
According to sources, an effective legislative process demands employers, as well as employees to join, which results to time wastage otherwise used for boosting the production. For instance, the Australian government has enacted different legislative mechanisms in an endeavor to curb discrimination. For example, the FW act has in the past helped to maintain the working environment (Rees, Lindsay & Rice 2008, p. 303).
- Discrimination has led to loss of focus for many companies in Australia.
- The time wasted in taking anti-discriminatory measures could be utilized to perform other important duties.
- The majority of companies’ production rate has remained low because of time shortage.
A research conducted by scholars at diverse regions across the globe highlighted the unfavorable effects of workplace discrimination on the society. The increased rate of discrimination is what has led to the high rate of unemployment. This is because employers use biased methods when hiring new employees.
It is common for them to base their choices on tribe, skin color, as well as gender (Appleby 2008, p. 17). Therefore, a huge percentage of qualified and experienced individuals have remained jobless, since employers use biased strategies while conducting employment. This has remained as a remarkably strong barrier in the workplace, since people possessing no skills secure the best jobs, therefore, resulting to incompetence.
Although the Australian government has undertaken many legislative actions against women favoritism, reports depict noncompliance by the majority of many companies. As a result, majority of women have remained jobless, therefore, remaining poor (Haque & Haque 2009, p. 63). Moreover, noncompliance by companies has denied women their voice in the workplace, which has further culminated into mistreatment.
In connection to the above, amongst the mistreatment experienced by these women include sexual harassments, denial of paid maternity leaves, as well as workplace violence (Gregory 2003, p. 13). All these practices act as massive barriers since they have detrimental effects to the companies’ operations. A recent study has depicted a poor performance of companies that report high cases of discrimination.
- The workplace discrimination has resulted to unemployment for many qualified individuals.
- Most of the employers in Australia utilize biased procedures while recruiting new employees.
- Women are highly prone to employment discrimination as majority of employers are gender biased.
- Although the Australian government has enacted some acts aimed at controlling such acts, some companies have refused to comply.
- Sexual harassment remains a key barrier in the working environment.
In summary, it is quite clear that workplace discrimination is a barrier towards realizing company’s objectives. When leaders such as managers engage in some forms of discrimination, the working environment becomes poor. This is because showing some favors to some people only creates a negative mental picture to the mind of the discriminated person.
Therefore, a person develops mistrust and hatred towards the management. Furthermore, in an indirect way, discrimination results to wastage of time during the anti-discrimination campaigns. Finally, discrimination against women is a hitch towards recognizing their goals in the workplace.
References
Appleby, G 2008, Harassment, and discrimination: and other workplace landmines, Entrepreneur Media, Irvine.
Dipboye, R & Colella, A 2005, Discrimination at work the psychological and organizational bases. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, Mahwah.
Gregory, R 2003, Women, and workplace discrimination: overcoming barriers to gender equality, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick.
Haque, R & Haque, M 2009, Gender, ethnicity, and employment non-English speaking background migrant women in Australia, Physica-Verlag, Heidelberg.
Lawn, P 2009, Environment and employment: reconciliation, Routledge, London.
Rees, N, Lindsay, K & Rice, S 2008, Australian anti-discrimination law: text, cases, and materials, Federation Press, Sydney.