A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Discrimination-Free Workplace
The workplace should be free from any discrimination because a worker or an employee spends most of their time at their workplace. As per research, it is around one-third of their lifetime, and therefore, the employee must feel safe at the workplace, free from discrimination.
Employees should not be mistreated or discriminated at any cost at the workplace. There are various articles mentioning the employee survival guide. However, unfortunately, the discrimination-led workplace is prevalent and therefore, in this article, we will discuss how to get a discrimination-free workplace.
What is Discrimination in the Workplace?
The legal definition of discrimination is distinction or exclusion and unequal treatment due to various reasons or based on certain characteristics. Discrimination is mainly based on reasons of race, colour, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, medical condition, sex, including pregnancy discrimination, sexual orientation, marital status, and other reasons.
How Can You Stop Discrimination At the Workplace?
- Written Policy to Define Your Rules: Discrimination can never be conveyed without a written rule about it. If you are asking people at the workplace to follow it merely, people might not follow. But if there is a written policy, people will be bound to follow it. Therefore, companies must have anti-discrimination policies and show zero tolerance towards discrimination. Companies should respect employee’s professional right to work in a professional environment where their skills, knowledge and abilities can be utilised to gain success.
- Establish a Process for Resolving Discrimination Issues: If any employee feels that there is discrimination against them in the company, then there should be a process through which they can reach the higher authorities against their discrimination issues. The employees must feel safe that their workplace is safe for them, and they can rely on the company’s policies.
- Communication Channels: The company must ensure that there is a communication channel between the employee and the higher authorities. But the channel cannot be one way or only one way for communication. There should be a transparent and effective communication channel in which you can have more than one option to report discrimination.
- Reduce bias while hiring: During the hiring process, there should be no bias among the employees. There are sometimes unconscious biases or stereotypes about the employees. It affects the behaviour and perception of the employees, and it is found in various companies where there is biased and unfair hiring. So, the company should avoid having such unconscious bias while hiring.
- Conduct Team-Building Activities: Businesses holding training, meetings, events, team-building exercises, and other activities can hold the employees together and reduce discrimination. Therefore, companies should conduct such team-building exercises to encourage diversity and inclusion.
