How CyberTex works to Fight Discrimination?
Understanding Workplace Discrimination
Workplace discrimination refers to unequal, violent, or unfair behavior of an employee or group of employees with another employee or group of employees working in the same industrial or organizational setting. This is a form of social injustice and violation of human rights law (anti-discrimination) and is mainly done to employees that are perceived to be deserving of discrimination because they don’t fit a certain stereotypical standard. These irrational standards can be based on gender, race, ethnicity, language, age, disability, religion, beliefs, ideologies, capability and promotions, and nation.
Discrimination- A Slow Poison for Organizations
Workplace discrimination can bring an organization to ashes. It is like cancer that may not show itself first but will bring harmful effects afterward. Listed below are some of the major and common consequences of workplace discrimination that are faced by organizations.
1. Decreased Work Efficiency
Workplace discrimination can lower employees’ moral regard and can affect their emotional, psychological, and in extreme cases even physical health. A worker can be affected by disrespect to such an extent that he/she cannot comfortably work efficiently in that toxic environment. Psychologically, discrimination can lead to lower self-confidence hence, an employee may question his capability or efficacy to work and achieve. This will ultimately lower employees’ motivation to work and will lead to decreased efficiency at work. Decreased work efficiency of employees will have negative consequences for the organization.
2. Increased Employee Turnover
Workplace discrimination is directly related to employee turnover. It is one of the primary human needs to feel and seek security above all. It is not only important for survival but also for emotional well-being. Discrimination at work motivates employees to seek better and more comfortable opportunities. It impacts employees’ loyalty, an organization faces employee and work loss because of it. The organization will also be forced to increase recruitment and training strategies, which will cost both time and money.
3. Decreased Organizational Reputation
This is the era of social media. Whatever news is posted spreads like a forest fire and there is no controlling it. Everyone knows that gossiping has no end. Once the bad reputation of your organization has been spread, people will talk about it. This reputation can not only affect sales and work efficiency but can increase employee turnover and can make it difficult to hire further because people would not want to work in a toxic environment. One of the research projects on employee satisfaction concluded that employee loyalty is influenced more by the work environment than salary.
4. Legal Costs and Consequences
Workplace discrimination can lead to legal consequences, including lawsuits, settlements, and regulatory penalties. Legal battles can be expensive, both in terms of monetary costs and the time and resources required to resolve them. Such legal issues can strain the organization's finances and divert attention from core business activities. Failure to address workplace discrimination can result in legal compliance challenges and reputational damage. It is essential for organizations to proactively address discrimination to meet legal obligations and maintain ethical standards.
These are some of the major consequences faced by organizations where discrimination takes place. There are minor consequences as well taking place on individual levels.
Why does Workplace Discrimination happen?
Listed below are some of the factors that promote workplace discrimination.
1. Lack of Diversity: When an organization does not promote diversity and only recruits employees with similar cultural backgrounds and genetic makeup, it might be promoting discrimination either directly or indirectly. When there are fewer people in an organization with different cultural/national backgrounds they may face discrimination. This is because they don’t belong to the similar social group other employees do and are considered outcasts. Sometimes people may have negative and irrational beliefs about a culture that is folks transferred from generation to generation with no real ground.
2. Racial Biases: A candidate who applied for a job but is from a different racial background i.e., an African in Asians dominated workplace, may not get selected just for being black. Similarly, an employee with a different racial background may get disrespected or even harmed just for being different.
3. Religious Biases: People let their stereotypical beliefs, fears, and hatred take over them and it leads them to discriminatory or unfair behaviors towards their fellow employees, laborers, and candidates based on religion. For example, a Hindu candidate or employee may be treated unjustly by a Muslim-dominant work culture.
4. Gender Biases: This is the most influential promoting factor in workplace discrimination in organizations. Most women face this in patriarchal societies and workplaces. Discrimination based on gender not only includes verbal assault but may also involve physical or sexual abuse. A study concludes that 95% of women have faced verbal harassment in medical organizations.
5. Salary Expectations/Distribution: People can have grudges against another employee who is paid more and may disrespect him/her based on this. They usually don’t focus on the rational side of it that may be the person getting paid more is more capable and just do it out of frustration or grudge.
6. Power Dynamics: Power imbalances within organizations can contribute to discrimination. Those in positions of power, such as managers or supervisors, may misuse their authority to discriminate against subordinates or colleagues.
7. Lack of Awareness and Policies: One of the main reasons that discrimination continues to grow in any workplace is that there are no awareness campaigns regarding it and if anyone discriminates against another worker there are no policies made by the organization to take action against them. When organizations let people get away with assaults, it gives them the motivation to do that again because they developed an attitude of “What’s the worst that can happen?”
8. Socioeconomic Status: Socioeconomic status, either high or low can be a reason people get assaulted at workplaces. Because people think they are simply too rich to do the job or are too poor to deserve the opportunity or to fit in.
Web3Pandas’ Fight to Promote Workplace Safety and End Discrimination
1. Developing Policies
Web3Pandas has developed its policies regarding workplace discrimination. Everyone must answer to our Human Resources Management for violating human rights. If any employee observes or faces discrimination, he/she can report freely to the HRM and we’ll proceed accordingly. No one is favored based on their gender, position, or race. Web3Pandas promotes mental well-being and a healthy environment where everyone has the right to live respectfully and freely.
2. Hiring Across the Globe
Web3Pandas is hiring its employees all around the world without being concerned about their cultural or national backgrounds. For us, the hiring standards involve your capabilities and skill level and not your racial or gender background. This will also promote diversity and end biases that promote workplace discrimination.
3. Remote Opportunities
Web3Panda has developed an advanced approach to hiring employees remotely all around the globe to promote diversity and end discrimination. Another reason for remote opportunities is to promote IT in underdeveloped countries or where there is no awareness of it.
4. Recruitment based on Talent
Web3Panda’s recruitment process is entirely designed on rational and fair demands of the job. If your profile and skill set match our job description, we call you for the interview without being biased. This is Web3Panda’s other step towards ending biases.
5. Training Programs and Surveys
Web3Pandas has designed a training program specifically to spread awareness about workplace discrimination which is mandatory for all existing and newly joined employees. Moreover, Web3Pandas does frequent surveys for employee satisfaction and to know about discrimination in its environment. If anyone has complained about another employee the identity is kept anonymous to promote the safety of the complaint.