It’s important that companies do what they can to provide their employees with safe workplace environments. Among the issues that lead employees to feel unsafe and targeted is discrimination. Workplace discrimination is the unjust targeting of people based on certain characteristic differences, such as their age, race and gender (as a few examples).
Companies can take preemptive measures to combat discrimination. However, it can be hard to know whether an employee will bring in prejudices or biases that would lead employees to feel unsafe or excluded from their livelihood. Ensuring a workplace is free from discriminatory behaviors can be difficult, but reading the following may give companies a plan of action:
Create policies and punishments for discrimination
It’s important that new and current employees understand their rights. This means employees should understand that a workplace should be discrimination-free. Companies can create policies that clarify how their workplace doesn’t tolerate discrimination.
Further, the policies may include punishments for discriminatory behaviors. These penalties may be as severe as firing an employee for creating an unsafe work environment. This also encourages people to stand up against discrimination and make work environments feel inclusive for minorities.
Train employees on the signs of discrimination
Many people don’t understand that their actions can leave others feeling unsafe and insecure about their employment. This often is caused by people who grew up in environments that tolerate discrimination or actively engage in discriminatory behaviors.
Employees may go through forms of anti-discrimination training to not only spot when someone else is discriminating against others and take action but also to understand how their own actions and comments might make others feel targeted.
No forms of discrimination should be allowed in workplaces. Unhandled discrimination may lead employees to pursue legal action – and that’s nothing that any company wants.
