Workplace discrimination is one of the worst things someone can go through. Not only does it make people choose between their safety and their need to make an income: it also threatens them in a space where they should feel safe. Workplace discrimination comes in many forms, though, and because of this, some people don’t notice when it’s happening because they don’t recognize it for what it is.
Here are some of the primary forms of it.
Sexual Harassment
Although many may not think of sexual harassment as a form of discrimination, it is. It’s different than discrimination based on gender, but they are rooted in the same ideas. This form of harassment is when someone uses sexuality and inappropriate words or physical contact to gain power over a coworker. This offense is serious because it’s been shown to cause PTSD in people who have to deal with it both short and long term.
Discrimination on Gender
Have you ever noticed some companies only have one gender in boardrooms? Are all supervisors and shift leads one gender? This is almost always because of gender discrimination. Deciding that someone is worthless because of their gender or representing themselves according to their gender is terrible and should be taken seriously. Another example is the discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace. Many pregnant women experiencesigns of pregnancy discriminationeither from their employers or co-workers. Gender doesn’t inform a person’s worth, and discrimination against it is a significant offense that many companies are still making.
Discrimination on Race
Discrimination against someone because of their race is one of the most critical topics in the public eye in the last two hundred years. There’s no difference in abilities between races, and yet many companies and people hire based on terrible thinking. This issue can swing both ways, feeding the ‘model minority myth that also harms the chances of hiring and promotion for some races.
Discrimination on Age
These discrimination cases are one type that many don’t seem to realize exists. Discrimination based on age, also known as ageism, hurts people on both far ends of the spectrum of age. Older people get denied hiring because companies assume they’ll have to pay them more or that they won’t get as many years out of them. Younger people are often denied raises and promotions because people assume that young people are more flighty and less serious about their work. It’s an unfair predicament for anyone to be put into.
Discrimination on Sexuality
Discrimination on sexuality is a hot topic because some states attempt to make it so that this isn’t even considered a type of discrimination. It’s real, and it harms countless people. Nobody should lose job prospects, work, or chance of getting promoted just because of their sexuality. Like everything else on this list, sexuality isn’t something that can be changed or erased, and people should be allowed to be attracted to whoever feels right.
Discrimination on Ability Discrimination against disabled people is so common that there have been multiple protests and lawsuits in the last ten years to try and protect these workers. In most states, it’s legal to pay some disabled workers half of what they pay other workers. Of course, these workers deserve better.