Although discrimination in the workplace is prohibited by law, it unfortunately nevertheless occurs. It’s more common than you think, and you may have been the target of prejudice yourself without ever recognizing it. That’s why it’s so important to learn about the different types of discrimination that might arise in the workplace. It might be difficult for victims of workplace discrimination to concentrate on their tasks, leading to poorer productivity. Negative emotions like these can seep into your private life and cause you stress illness, and a general decline in health.
Enjoy the ride!
What Is Discrimination?
Any action that specifically targets a person based on a personal characteristic, such as gender, size, age, religion, ethnicity, ability, or sexual orientation, is known as discrimination. Employees that are discriminated against in the workplace are often not evaluated based on their abilities in the workplace.
The different types of discrimination in the workplace might be deliberate, but it can also occur unintentionally. Discrimination in the workplace is wrong and harmful regardless of intent. Also, discrimination during any phase of an employer’s relationship with an employee is prohibited by law.
What Qualifies as the Types of Discrimination in the Workplace?
Disparate treatment at work on the basis of legally protected qualities is discrimination in the workplace. In other words, an employer cannot treat employees differently because of (among other things) the color of their skin, the fact that they are 40 or older, or the fact that they are a woman. Forms of prejudice in the workplace include: Discrimination in the workplace can come from a variety of sources, including your superiors, coworkers, and even the company’s owners. Constant harassment, unfair disciplinary measures, or a lack of respect from superiors are all examples of workplace discrimination. An experienced discrimination lawyer in the workplace is essential when dealing with discrimination cases. However, if you have an ally to help you along the way, you can pursue justice for the injustice you have endured.
Types of Discrimination in the Workplace
The types of discrimination in the workplace can take many forms, depending on the bias at play. Discrimination in the workplace occurs when an individual is treated adversely because of their sexual orientation, religion, race, gender, pregnancy, or physical or mental impairment. The different types of discrimination in the workplace occur when an employee is treated unfairly because of who they are or what they look like.
Many workplaces also have problems with overt prejudice. That would entail giving them a lower priority than other people. Indirect discrimination, on the other hand, happens when some group members are put at a disadvantage because of formal policies and procedures. The different types of discrimination in the workplace occur when an individual or group is treated differently from others due to their identity or protected trait. Such conduct can occur between anyone from job candidates to upper management. Intentional or not, prejudice in the workplace is always wrong.
The following are the different types of discrimination in the workplace:
#1. Racial Discrimination
The different types of Discrimination in the workplace can be racially motivated if it targets a person because of their race, skin color, ethnicity, or country of origin. Not employing a suitable candidate, assigning someone to an unfavorable position or task for which they are overqualified, denying someone a promotion, or creating a hostile work environment are all forms of racial discrimination.
#2. Discrimination Based on Religion
It is against the law to discriminate against someone at employment because of their religious views or practices. Furthermore, businesses should provide employees with the resources (including time and space) they need to follow their religious or spiritual beliefs.
#3. Gender and Sexual Orientation Bias
Although it is against the law, sex, and gender discrimination in the workplace occurs frequently. This includes bias towards employees because of their gender, sexual orientation, or how they choose to identify as a gender. Pregnancy and parental discrimination are also included. A pregnant worker cannot be passed over for a promotion, fired, or denied employment on the basis of their pregnancy, as this would constitute sex/gender discrimination. Equal protection under the law protects both male and female parents from discrimination in the workplace.
#4. Discrimination Based on Disability
It is against the law in many countries to discriminate against qualified workers or job applicants. Also, businesses or their employees are not allowed to discriminate against people because of their disability. Furthermore, they are not allowed to refuse reasonable accommodations or pay differently for those with disabilities.
#5. Age Discrimination
People over the age of 40 are considered a protected class and can’t be discriminated against in any way because of their age, including termination, demotion, or retirement. It is illegal to discriminate against workers on the basis of their age or perceived level of competence. Requiring someone to retire because of their age is an example of discrimination against this group.
#6. Discrimination Based on Pregnancy
Most nations have also passed prenatal legislation, similar to that which protects people with disabilities. Under the same, companies must treat pregnancy the same manner they would any other temporary sickness or illness. The employee’s pregnancy cannot be used as grounds for termination, demotion, or wage reduction. This is one of the types of discrimination in the workplace that shouldn’t be neglected.
Examples of Discrimination in the Workplace
Examples of the different types of discrimination that can occur in the workplace are as follows:
- A failure to secure employment.
- Being passed over for a promotion.
- Putting up with rude remarks.
- Termination due to membership in a legally protected group.
- Withholding money or other perks from an employee.
- Taking away maternity leave, disability leave, or retirement benefits.
- Favoring a candidate mainly for subjective reasons.
- Rejecting an applicant for no other reason than their own perceived qualities.
- Dismissing an employee because of their looks, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
- Sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate comments about a worker.
- Taking away shifts without a good professional reason, even if they’re shifts the employee would like to have.
- Rather than rewarding employees based on their skills and contributions, the corporation shows partiality during promotions and reorganization.
Secure Factors for All Workers
Equal treatment in the workplace is guaranteed for all employees regardless of the following characteristics:
- Age
- Country of origin
- Impairments (whether physiological, psychological, emotional, or cognitive)
- Work and family commitments
- Sexual orientation
- Relationship or marital status
- Political viewpoints
- Possibility or confirmation of pregnancy
- Race/color
- Religion
- Sex
- Orientation Sexual
- Unionization efforts
How Do You Identify the Types of Discrimination in the Workplace?
Unfortunately, it appears that spotting the different types of discrimination in the workplace is a difficult task. Aggressive actions in the workplace are sometimes dismissed as a joke, innocent, or unintentional. However, this might not always be the case. The following are ways to identify the different types of discrimination in the workplace:
#1. Lack of Diversity
There is a dearth of diversity in some workplaces. That makes them biased even if they didn’t intend to be. That’s because if people don’t feel welcome, they won’t stick around for very long. You can tell whether a certain type of person or people are attracted to the workplace because of the way it is set up.
#2. Retaliation
Abuse and discrimination thrive in workplaces where employees are afraid to speak up about it. You can already assume there is discrimination present if you are contemplating speaking up but are discouraged from doing so. Something is definitely up in the office if that happens.
#3. Inappropriate or Offensive Remarks
Discrimination can be completely excused if members of the team constantly resort to insulting one another in private chats. When a CEO or other high-ranking employer engages in this behavior, it’s even worse. It’s bad enough that it makes you feel like you’re in a hostile workplace.
#4. Improper Inquiries
Discriminatory interview practices include the introduction of unexpected or personal questions. Some of these inquiries can seem harmless at first, but the individual asking them might not have your best interests at heart. They could be showing their own lack of knowledge or looking for excuses not to hire you.
What Steps Should Be Taken to Prevent Discrimination?
To avoid legal trouble and keep their employees safe, businesses must take preventative measures against discrimination. The following are ways to prevent the different types of discrimination in the workplace:
#1. Recruitment
Preventing prejudice during the hiring process is essential. They should check to see that none of their ads feature language that could be interpreted as sexism or racism or homophobia or bigotry towards any group of people.
#2. Policy
A company that doesn’t provide its employees with equal benefits isn’t doing its job. Included in this should be a discussion of what is and is not tolerated in the workplace with regard to protected characteristics, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct.
#3. Education
Companies owe it to their staff to inform them of their anti-discrimination rules and teach them how to spot discrimination in the workplace. Both the employment agreement and the employee handbook should contain this information.
#4. Respect
Companies owe it to their staff to convey the value they place on treating everyone with dignity and respect, notwithstanding their individual differences. That will open their eyes to the value of having a diverse workforce.
#5. Resolving Customer Concerns
When a complaint is made, an organization’s management must act swiftly and in confidence. A solid workplace complaints procedure is something they should prioritize.
#6. Training
All new hires at a company should be required to complete training on how the company handles discrimination as part of the formal onboarding process. Managers and supervisors should also be educated on the signs of discrimination and how to address them.
#7. Enforcement
It’s not enough to simply have a policy against the different types of discrimination in the workplace. The organization’s management must ensure that it is fairly applied to all employees and that they have faith in its legality.
#8. Review
The policies of any given organization need to be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure their efficacy. In addition, they should always be adapting when necessary.
What’s the Difference between Unfair Treatment and Discrimination in the Workplace?
The main distinction between unfair treatment and discrimination in the workplace is that the latter is illegal. State and federal regulations make it crystal clear that hiring, firing, and promotion decisions cannot be made on the basis of a protected feature. While it’s irritating when others treat you unfairly, it’s not enough to file a lawsuit over. For instance, perhaps your employer promoted their best friend at the expense of you. Office politics and favoritism are not illegal, so don’t feel bad if they play a role in your promotion despite your merits.
How Do You Tell if Your Boss Is Discriminating against You?
You can detect if your supervisor is biased against you by observing how he or she treats you against other employees in the same position. Different types of Discrimination in the workplace may be at play if you are routinely treated adversely for random reasons and you observe patterns in how your employer treats you and how he or she treats your coworkers. Keep in mind that your employer still has the right to punish you for bad performance, so long as they are not breaking the law by doing so. If your supervisor is treating you poorly but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for it, it’s possible that they are discriminating against you.
Can Discrimination Be Hard to Prove in the Workplace?
The different types of discrimination claims in the workplace are not always easy to prove. This is due to the fact that discrimination is rarely overt and visible. Instead, in most cases of discrimination, only indirect evidence is used. In other words, the evidence presented is sufficient to convince a jury that discriminatory reasons underpinned a certain HR action. You’ll be in good hands with a lawyer who specializes in employment discrimination cases, and who can help you gather circumstantial evidence and present a strong case against your company.
What Are the 4 Main Types of Discrimination?
The following are the 4 main types of discrimination:
- Direct discrimination.
- Indirect discrimination.
- Harassment.
- Victimisation.
What Is the Most Common Type of Discrimination?
The following are the common types of discrimination:
- Race.
- Color.
- Sex.
What Are the Common Types of Discrimination in the Workplace?
- Age Discrimination.
- Disability Discrimination.
- Sexual Orientation.
- Status as a Parent.
- Religious Discrimination.
- National Origin.
- Pregnancy.
- Sexual Harassment.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, society is a just and equal environment where everyone is protected and included instead of being mocked or isolated. Although much progress has been made, discrimination in the workplace still exists in many communities. Managers and business owners should be familiar with the laws and regulations surrounding discrimination, as well as the penalties for engaging in illegal discriminatory practices.
Related Articles
- Top 4 Types of Employment Discrimination in California
- EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION: Understanding Why It Is an Issue
- WORKPLACE HARASSMENT: Types, Examples and What You Should Know
- HOW TO SUE A COMPANY: What You Should Know, Discrimination, Debt & Guide.
- WORKPLACE LAWYER DISCRIMINATION: How Lawyers Assess Discrimination Cases & What They Can Do For You
- WORKPLACE BULLYING: Definition, Types & All You Need To Know
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