Discrimination as defined under the ILO (International Labour Organization) Convention No. 111, is any distinction, exclusion, or preference made based on race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, or social origin (among other characteristics), which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity and treatment in employment or occupation. 

Workplace discrimination has always been a concern for employment, and we had hoped that we would have gotten past all the prejudices against “others” in the 21^st century when their only fault is that they are different from us. 

Many surveys and research have been conducted over the years showing that discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexuality, and age is still a concern in most workplaces.  

Discrimination occurs because of prejudices and unconscious biases, yet most of the time privileged groups are not even aware that they are discriminating against marginalized groups. 

Know more about the different types of discrimination and evaluate whether any of these occur in your workplace: 

Gender Discrimination 

Although women joined the workforce more than one hundred years ago to actively work outside the home, the stigma of being the caregiver to not being skilled and smart enough to pursue a career still remains. We would think we are past these stereotypes and prejudices but even after a century, the misconceptions and biases have not changed.  

Women are 30% less likely to get hired compared to men applicants, with the percentage increasing to 35.9% if the woman is also a mother.  

Furthermore, the opportunities to climb the corporate ladder are even fewer for women. According to research done on women in management, only 33% of management posts are held by women in North America, while the lowest percentage is held by Russia and Pakistan having 6% and 4% women in management respectively.  

Another major factor in discrimination against women in the workplace is the pay gap. According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), on average, women who are full-time managers earned 71 cents for every dollar earned by full-time male managers. This means that women managers are paid 30% less than their male counterparts, which is even higher than the pay gap between other full-time women workers who earn 18% less than their male colleagues.  

Racial Discrimination 

Racial discrimination is another major concern faced by organizations and job applicants around the world. Even though this is against the law in many countries, it is still fairly common in many workplaces. Racial discrimination involves: 

• Giving jobs based on skin color, ethnic identity, and nationality 

• Giving lower pay 
• Denying promotions 
• Stereotyping and harassment 
• Assuming certain people are only capable of doing certain jobs 

Glassdoor’s Diversity & Inclusion Study conducted an online survey across four countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany) and reported that three in ten employees (30%) have witnessed or experienced racial discrimination at work. 

Age Discrimination  

Those above the age of 35 or even 30 are familiar with job postings of companies looking for young, fresh, and preferably below 30 candidates, which can make one feel frustrated, hopeless, and helpless. The issue is even more concerning if you are a married woman with children and returning to the workforce after a considerable break. The chances of getting a job get slimmer as you keep adding all these factors, and ageism at the workplace doesn’t help either. 

 Ageism is a concerning issue faced by employers and employees. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), almost two out of three employees aged 45 or above report facing or witnessing age discrimination, and 45% of employees believe that it would be hard to get a new job if they leave their current job or are laid off because of the age factor. 

Discrimination on Disability 

People With Disabilities (PWDs) are one of the most marginalized communities in the world. Employers who do not prioritize inclusion do not make their offices PWD-friendly and the unjust assumption that PWDs are not as good as their abled body counterparts have pushed the PWDs to the fringes of society even when they can be a productive part of it. This discrimination not only affects a country’s economy but also has a devastating effect on the mental health of disabled people and their families.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that over one billion of the world’s population are disabled which comprises 15% of the total population and 60%  of whom are of working age. However, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 52% of PWDs in Europe are not part of the workforce. 

Although the employment rate of people with disability has increased over the years, the unemployment rate is almost twice as high (7.3%)  for PWDs compared to the rate of those without a disability (5.1%) 

Discrimination on Sexual Orientation 

The members of the LGBTQAI community are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. LGBTQAI are constantly worried about not getting hired, being fired, being denied promotions, and harassment at the workplace.  

According to a survey conducted by the Williams Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, almost half of LGBTQAI (46%) report facing hostility, discrimination, and harassment on the job, and 8.9% reported that they were fired or not hired based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.  

Addressing Discrimination 

Despite tremendous measures and initiatives that have been taken by both governments and non-government organizations during the past decades, we are still a long way from eliminating the disparity and discrimination in the workplace. Education about discrimination and providing preference and benefits based on skills and talent rather than sex, race, age, disability, or sexual orientation can be a good start.  

Remote work provides a feasible alternative for all these marginalized groups even though it is not a perfect and permanent solution. When working remotely, you will be evaluated on your qualities and qualifications relevant to the job and nothing else.  

Remote work also sets a precedence and a model that if we just look beyond our prejudices, we will be able to harvest from these huge pools of talent that most ignore.  

Genashtim Pte Ltd is one of the few organizations that is actively working to promote the rights of marginalized and discriminated groups through gainful and sustainable employment. As of January 2022, almost 80% of Genashtim employees belong to marginalized and disadvantaged groups. 

To further its initiative of advocating for the rights of marginalized groups, Genashtim started the JEDI Jobs program to help them connect with employers around the world. JEDI represents justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as in: 

• Justice in providing access to sustainable employment and resources for everyone. 
• Equity through allocating remote work resources and opportunities to ensure accessibility to everyone. 
• Diversity in extending remote work positions to people from diverse backgrounds. 
• Inclusion in providing remote work resources and opportunities to those who are at a disadvantage. 

Driven by these visions on which it stands, JEDI Jobs is motivated to provide employment opportunities to marginalized groups by training them and connecting them with global employers.  

For more information visit: https://www.jedi-jobs.com/