Most Employees Have Experienced Workplace Discrimination

There's an opportunity to better train and educate employees about the importance of anti-discrimination in the workplace.

This article was first published on September 12, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.

Most workers today have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace, according to Monster, which recently conducted a poll in honor of National Disability Independence Day.

Discrimination Is Rampant

The results of Monster’s poll may be shocking to some. For example, here are some of its key takeaways:

• Only 9% of those polled say they haven’t experienced some form of discrimination at work.
• In addition, 77% say they have witnessed an act of discrimination in the workplace. Unfortunately, when they do, 28% say they don’t feel comfortable reporting these incidents.
• During the job application process, employees also report discrimination, with 50% saying they’ve experienced discrimination based on age (50%) or race (40%).

It’s also interesting to note that there’s a difference between the level of discrimination experienced during the job application and interview process and the level experienced in the workplace. For instance:

• Discrimination based on race—40% during job application and interview; 38% on the job
• Discrimination based on age—50% during job application and interview; 37% on the job
• Discrimination based on weight or height—15% during job application and interview; 11% on the job

While most organizations have policies against discrimination, those policies aren’t enough.

Policies Aren’t Enough

Monster’s research indicates that while companies have policies against workplace discrimination, 45% of employees say they’re unaware of those policies. In addition, employees don’t think discrimination policies are as important as other types of policies like family and medical leave (81%), antiretaliation against whistleblowers (77%), and salary transparency (70%).

Train and Educate Employees

As Monster’s poll reveals, there’s an opportunity to better train and educate employees about the importance of anti-discrimination in the workplace, what discrimination looks like, employees’ roles in helping minimize discrimination, and steps to take to report discrimination they either experience or observe.

Start with a Baseline

Just because Monster’s poll indicates a high level of discrimination doesn’t mean that’s the case at your organization. It pays to poll your own employees to get a better understanding of your situation and to start with an accurate baseline to begin devising specific strategies and tactics.