Racial Discrimination At The Workplace And How To Mitigate It
There different kinds of people in the workplace. You will realize that different people belong to different races, tribes, religions, cultures and so on. This is the reason why there is a lot of diversity in the workplace. However, in some workplaces, you might encounter racial discrimination in the workplace. Racism at the workplace can be observed when the company’s behavior is altered based on the race or ethnicity. It is therefore experienced or witnessed by employees in different forms such as harassment, indirect discrimination or victimization. Most employees tend to experience racial discrimination at work at one time or another.
You can easily identify racial discrimination at work. The following are some factors that show the existence of racial discrimination at work:
- Stereotyping.
Stereotyping is detrimental because it normally portrays controversial generalizations and can even attribute to all staff members of the company. Individuals should be keen on the language used, topics upheld by other employees and so on. It is also important that you check whether the management or your fellow employees are making derogatory remarks about specific elements of an individual’s culture and customs.
- Hostility
You will realize that hostility can be experienced through verbal critics. For example, a black-American woman can be criticized for being aggressive and so on. If you notice such hostility, there is an element of racial discrimination at your workplace. You will realize that persons experiencing racial discrimination at work tend to have difficulties in socializing with other members of the firm.
There are different ways that can help in mitigating racial discrimination at the workplace. Some of these ways include:
- Write an anti-discrimination policy that specifically addresses racism.
If you notice racism in your workplace, it is advisable to come up with an anti-discrimination policy that addresses the issue of racism. It should include the consequences for acts of racial discrimination and so on.
- Consider hiring employees from all races.
This will go a long way in creating diversity. It is also advisable to inform your candidates before hiring them of your policy against racism and discrimination in any form.
- Ensure that you promote employees on the basis of merit.
It is important that employees get promotions on merit basis. This will make them feel more valued.
- Train employees on how to avoid racial discrimination.
You should conduct this training at least once a year. This will go a long way in mitigating the problem of racial discrimination in the workplace.
Those are some of the ways that can help you deal with racial discrimination at the workplace.
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