A research paper regarding the workplace problem on discrimination.
I. Introduction
Discrimination, defined as looking down on someone due to race or certain personality traits, is sadly prevalent in today’s culture. People easily judge others because of ethnicity, beliefs, culture or just simply because of the way they look. While it has become almost natural to witness or experience discrimination, it becomes magnified once it is done inside the workroom.
The workplace is where people earn their living. They take all that they’ve studied, all the knowledge that they’ve gained in over sixteen years of schooling and are finally applying it to make a name for themselves. Workrooms have a society of their own, a micro-society, restricted to the four office walls. It is here where the slightest insult can make or break someone’s career.
Workplace discrimination is something that needs to be addressed. People who are temporarily residing in the office eight hours a day come from very different backgrounds. Every was brought up a different way. Workers also have different personalities. Working with a discriminating colleague may hurt work production and rattle one’s confidence. Imagine having to spend the whole day being made fun of by someone who thinks his life and job are more prestigious. That can really have an effect on one’s demeanor.
To solve this problem, different avenues must be looked at to search for possible recommendations to remedy the problem.
II. Methodology
To further understand the problem of discrimination in the workplace, research must be done. Articles from websites or magazines will be look at for possible reasons for motives.
Workplace articles and opinion can really give a deeper insight as to what may go in inside the workplace environment.
A survey will also be conducted, preferably with both regular employees and higher-ranking officials. The questions will be as follows:
- Are you aware of discrimination in the workplace? ___ Yes ___ No
- Were you the one discriminated? ___Yes ____ No
- Were you the one discriminating? ___ Yes ____ No
- What’s your take on discrimination in the workplace?
______ Part of society and culture
______ It is something that needs to be addressed
III. Analysis
The act of discriminating is seen everywhere in the macro sense and in the micro sense. Unfortunately, it is present in everyday life. It has been dramatized in novels, issues have been highlighted in movies and laws have been made against the minority. These have been racial in nature and are judged one’s appearance or ethnicity.
Looking down at someone in the workplace is an issue that needs to also be highlighted. It is because the way one can be discriminated inside a workroom is not only racial in nature; it can depend on numerous factors. In an article by Scott Boyd regarding the types of discrimination in the workplace, he lists and explains two forms of discrimination in the workplace: Experience and Job-Type discrimination. I find these two things to be just as bad as being looked down upon racially because it deals with one’s livelihood or career. He works for this, gets paid for it, yet is being judged by it.
According to the article by Boyd, experience discrimination goes hand-in-hand with “Ageism”. This is defined as being discriminated based on one’s age. This applies to both ends of the spectrum: being either too old or too young. It applies as having not enough experience to be qualified for a certain job and too young for a position of authority. On the other hand, one can be too old and too experience and may have been in a company for too long to be considered a good long-term investment. He also points out that it could be possible that of those people who have experienced this kind of discrimination, a number of them could have easily done the job that was being applied for and done it easily? It’s a flimsy problem to have in the workplace and sometimes can be too unfair and unjust.
The second problem that Boyd states is the issue in the workplace of being discriminated for your job role. I like describing the workplace as like a mini-stage play. Each one in the office has a role to play. And imagine in a stage play, others look down at your role because you are not as important as the main cast. This problem is what prevails in the workplace. People are looked down upon not only because of not if they’re qualified to do a certain job, it’s because they do a certain job. They are seen as being as Boyd puts it, “less skilled” and therefore are expendable and don’t really have an important role within the organization. Employees are also seen as not important enough to keep within the company, and their contracts may have early termination options.
More important than how and why employees and workers are discriminated is the effect that being looked down upon has on them. First there’s a big mental effect it can have on someone. According to Jason Prader, the targeted ones are more than liable to suffer from lowered self-esteem and depreciate themselves. Self-depreciation or a sense of devaluing is also likely to happen. These feelings can have devastating effects if these people already have existing mental health issues or frail psyches. It plunges them into further depression, thinking on their own personal level that they are failures as workers and as people. In extreme cases, people get so violent that it becomes fatal. A TIME Magazine article reported how in 1986, fourteen people who worked in the United States Postal Service were killed by fellow colleagues who were so filled with rage because of how they’ve been treated by managers and fellow co-workers.
Not only does it affect the workers on a personal level, but socially as well. Low self-esteem caused by all the taunting might cause internal turmoil within the individual and pretty soon it’ll all come out. All in-kept emotions might all come out at one instance, which will result to verbal or physical attacks by the victims on the people responsible for the discrimination. These things can be dangerous. Other smaller effects might be living in isolation, thinking because the job isn’t that much of a big deal then neither is the life you are living.
To gain further insight into the matter, a survey was conducted among fifteen people: ten of them being regular employees, five of them being individuals working in higher office. The questions once again were as follows:
- Are you aware of discrimination in the workplace? ___ Yes ___ No
- Were you the one discriminated? ___Yes ____ No
- Were you the one discriminating? ___ Yes ____ No
- What’s your take on discrimination in the workplace?
______ Part of society and culture
______ It is something that needs to be addressed
Taking a look at the survey results, all fifteen are aware that there is discrimination going on the workplace. When asked, 11 said they were targets of discrimination while four said no. What’s interesting about this number is that one of the upper-echelon workers said they were discriminated. Naturally, the following question is the reciprocal result. The question with the closest margin discrepancy was the final question asking their take if discrimination is just part of today’s society or it is an issue that needs and can be addressed.
IV. Conclusion and Recommendation
Once again, discrimination is a glaring aspect of today’s society that has some of the biggest effects on individuals personally. It becomes greater when it goes beyond the color of skin or physical appearance, and extends into the workroom.
Scott Boyd discussed in an article that in a company, one can be discriminated by ageism, or according to experience and by job type. Applicants are judged at both ends of the spectrum: either too young or inexperienced for a prominent position within the company, or too old for a long-term investment. Employees are also judged based on what they do. People who have less-paying jobs are deemed not important by top executives to have any effect on the company as a whole. Effects of being discriminated in the workplace, both personal and social, can be dangerous and devastating to the individual.
Given all that has been presented, it can be recommended that proper respect and conduct in the workplace be implemented strictly, and issues of discrimination need to be addressed more. An employee code of conduct needs to be drafted, distributed and followed by the company’s employees and top officials. This creates a harmonious atmosphere where all contracted workers can have good work relationships. This isn’t to say that there will be no disputes and disagreements, but these issues can be debated about and resolved the proper way.
This is absolutely necessary not only for the individuals involved, but the companies as well. Boyd stated in his article that in addition to the personal effects that being discriminated can have, it also has a detrimental effect on the company as a whole. Lawsuits can be filed and the company would have to waste money dealing with the legal issues surrounding cases like this. The organization’s reputation will take a hit and public perception will skew negatively. This is something that all companies want to avoid.
Lastly, being judged quickly is simply unfair. Just because more dollars are entering the bank account it doesn’t mean that people who earn less aren’t as important. Where would managers be without their secretaries who organize their meetings? Where would the other internal departments be without administration to direct them? Everyone has a place in the workplace. Everyone has a role to play. If it means leading the company or simply being one of the hundreds of people employed, it’s important to do the job right, and know that nothing and no one should be able to claim to be better.
V. References
Boyd, Scott. (2005, February 13). Discrimination in the Workplace. RetrievedmFrom http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/employment_issues/articles/discrimination_in_the_workplace.htm
Prader, Jason. The Effects of Discrimination at Work. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6577869_effects-discrimination-work.html
Lamar, Jacob V. Jr. (2001, June 24). Crazy Pat’s Revenge. Time.
