Reflection Essay on Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination is the grounds described by the law, they are personal characteristics that people have. Anti-discrimination and equal opportunity laws make it unlawful for anyone to be treated unfairly on certain grounds, such as age, sex, pregnancy or sexuality. There are differences in the ground covered by state and territory legislation. Direct discrimination is when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because of that person’s race, color, sex or age. Marietta has young children.

Her manager says she will not get a promotion because her family responsibilities may make her unreliable or unable to do a demanding job is direct discrimination. Indirect discrimination is when a work requirement, condition or practice seems the same for all staff, but actually disadvantages certain people because such things as a disability, their race, color, sex or age. The ad for a retail job in a clothing store says that only people who have a driver’s license should apply, even though driving is not part of the job.

Sandra has good retail experience but can’t get the job because she has a disability and can’t get a driver’s license is an indirect discrimination. Systemic discrimination is widespread and long-term. It happens to a group of people because of a shared characteristic such as disability, race, color or sex. It is often part of a workplace policy, practice or culture. A large company with a stairway entrance doesn’t provide another way of getting into the building for employees with physical disabilities which means they can’t get into the building without help; this is a form of systemic discrimination.

Sex discrimination involves treating someone; an applicant or employee unfavorably because of that person's sex. The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. Discrimination against an individual because that person is transgender is discrimination because of sex in violation of Title VII. This is also known as gender identity discrimination. Prizes of a different value are given for male and female competition in the same club is a form of sex discrimination.

Age discrimination prohibits discrimination against all individuals age 40 years or older working for employers having 20 or more workers. Most employees cannot be forced to retire at a specific age. A club refuses to clear players to other teams because they are under 21. Marital status discrimination occurs when an employer treats a worker differently because of the worker’s marital status. If an applicant or employee is married, widowed, divorced, single or unmarried with a same-sex or opposite-sex partner, and the employer uses that information in making decisions about hiring, benefits, promotions, discipline or termination.

A player is deliberately excluded from team activities and social functions after she divorces her husband who is a club official is marital status discrimination. Pregnancy discrimination requires that any employer with 15 or more employees treat maternity leave the same as other personal or medical leaves. Pregnancy discrimination act requires employers to treat pregnant employees the same as non-pregnant employees with similar abilities or inabilities.

A woman is dropped from her softball team when she reveals she is pregnant. Racial discrimination occurs when an individual is subjected to unequal treatment because of their actual or perceived race. Race/color discrimination also can involve treating someone unfavorably because the person is married to or associated with a person of a certain race or color or because of a person’s connection with a race-based organization or group, or an organization or group that is generally associated with people of a certain color.

Discrimination can occur when the victim and the person who inflicted the discrimination are the same race or color. An aboriginal player is overlooked for team selection, due to his race. Sexuality discrimination applies to goods and services and all employment and vocational training and includes recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, transfers, dismissals and training.

The act makes it unlawful on the grounds of sexual orientation to; discriminate directly against anyone and to treat them less favorably than others because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, discriminate indirectly to apply a criterion, provision or practice which disadvantages people of a particular sexual orientation, unless it can be objectively justified, and victimize someone because they have made or intend to make a compliant or allegation in relation to a complaint of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. A footballer is ridiculed by his team mates after his homosexuality is disclosed.

Impairment or disability discrimination is treating you unfairly or badly because of your impairment. Discrimination such as this may be unlawful depending on the circumstances. Discrimination on the basis of impairment can happen at work, school or college, in a public venue in a shop or a restaurant, looking for accommodation, buying property, applying for credit, insurance or a loan, or dealing with tradespeople, businesses or state or local government. Because discrimination occurs most often in the workplace, employers should offer an equal opportunity to everyone for job interviews, promotion, transfer or training.

In other words, employers need to consider you on what you can do, not on what they assume you cannot do. A junior player is overlooked because of her mild epilepsy. Religious discrimination involves treating a person, an applicant or employee unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs.

Religious discrimination can also involve treating someone differently because that person is married to or associated with an individual of a particular religion or because of his or her connection with a religious organization or group. A woman is not allowed to participate because she is wearing a hijab. Although sexual harassment is one of the biggest issues facing employers these days it's not the only type of discrimination you need to be concerned about. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, employees who believe they were victims of job discrimination due to race, religion, sex or disability is entitled to a trial by jury.

While companies with fewer than 15 employees are generally exempt from federal discrimination laws, most states have their own laws prohibiting discrimination, which, in addition to protecting a wider range of categories of employees, include smaller businesses within their scope and procedural and evidentiary standards more favorable to claimants. A male tennis coach keeps putting his hand on a woman’s bottom during coaching sessions, making her feel very uncomfortable. Victimization is where an employee is singled out for using their workplace complaints procedures or exercising their legal rights.

An employer must not treat a worker less favorably because s/he has complained of discrimination or given evidence supporting another worker. There is protection for the worker if she/he makes an allegation in good faith of anything which would be unlawful race discrimination. It is also unlawful for an employer to penalize a worker because she/he anticipates that the worker is likely to allege race discrimination. The law protects you from discrimination so that it is illegal for traders to behave in certain ways. For example, they should not directly discriminate against you by treating you worse than someone else.

Discrimination is the prejudicial and/or distinguishing treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category, in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated. It involves the group's initial reaction or interaction, influencing the individual's actual behavior towards the group or the group leader, restricting members of one group from opportunities or privileges that are available to another group, leading to the exclusion of the individual or entities based on logical or irrational decision making.

Discriminatory traditions, policies, ideas, practices, and laws exist in many countries and institutions in every part of the world, even in ones where discrimination is generally looked down upon. In some places, controversial attempts such as quotas or affirmative action have been used to benefit those believed to be current or past victims of discrimination but have sometimes been called reverse discrimination themselves. “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me. ” ? Zora Neale Hurston

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Reflection Essay on Discrimination in the Workplace. (2016, Aug 27). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/discrimination-in-the-workplace-2/

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