5 Possible Solutions to Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Mar 13, 2023 | Society | 0 comments

Having an anti-racial discrimination policy ensures an accommodating workplace

Racial discrimination is a global issue that hasn’t been getting as much attention as it deserves, except for a few cases that received widespread mainstream media attention, like George Floyd’s death.

Racism manifests in various spheres of life, including the workplace. Fortunately, the workplace racial discrimination problem can be effectively addressed using the right incentives and information.

Organizations are often relatively small entities offering their leaders a high level of autonomy and control over procedural rules and cultural norms. Therefore, organizations are the best place to develop practices and policies promoting racial equity.

This article discusses racial discrimination in the workplace and possible solutions. Read to the end!

1. Study the Legal Requirements

Every American has the legal obligation to create an inclusive working environment and combat discrimination. The law prohibits discrimination on sexual orientation, family status, religion, disability, age, ethnicity, gender, or race.

Adopting an anti-discriminatory policy is a great way to create an accommodating work environment. The anti-discriminatory policy should outline discriminatory behaviors, specify measures to take in case discrimination happens, and define the process of filing, documenting, and investigating discrimination complaints.

Also, learn about obligations regarding employee accommodations, including the need to make your workplace accessible for workers with injuries or disabilities. That way, you can modify menus, uniforms, and schedules to suit each employee.

Lawyer concept. Beautiful Asian lawyer woman is reviewing various legal clauses to support the case file The results of the legal proceedings with the client.

2. Challenge Daily Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination happens in both subtle and obvious ways all the time. Subtle racism often comes as a joke or question from colleagues or friends. If you notice a friend or co-worker make discriminatory or racist comments, it’d be best to talk with them privately.

They’ll likely pay more attention to your hurt if you don’t publicly embarrass them. Let them know their statement is discriminatory or racist while reminding them that everyone has a right to dignity regardless of skin color. Also, mention that it’s unlawful to discriminate against people due to their sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity, or skin color.

You can share helpful resources on the history of racism and prejudice to help them understand how the evil practice started, assist them in freeing themselves from its hold, and get them to join the fight. Don’t hesitate to intervene when someone is harassed or bullied once you’ve determined it’s safe to do so.

You can encourage diversity by hiring workers across all gender, ages, and skin color

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3. Partner With Community Groups

Partnering with community groups to spread hiring amongst some populations would help you gain advice on practicing and improving diversity in your workplace. For instance, you can place job openings at charitable agencies working with older workers or new immigrants.

Besides helping to connect you to the best candidates faster, these nonprofits can identify people with relevant language skills and expertise tailored to the company’s needs.

4. Adjust Your Onboarding Process

Check that your onboarding process is inclusive. An inclusive onboarding process ensures new employees integrate smoothly, sending a message about the company’s stance on discrimination.

Spell out what behaviors are permissible and impermissible in the workplace to curb harassment and discrimination. Help new employees know their rights to increase their confidence and productivity.

5. Remove Hiring Biases

Check your hiring process for any bias or discrimination. Some recruiters have a bias against people with unfamiliar names, foreign credentials, and gaps in work history. Consider doing blind recruitment as a recruiter by asking candidates to remove identifying information like names from their résumés.

Also, it’s best to entrust the hiring process to a panel rather than one person. Recruiters should also try to understand international credentials and non-traditional résumés.

Most importantly, evaluate candidates based on their new capacities and the value they can bring to the company. Inadequate language skills shouldn’t be a barrier to hiring a qualified candidate. You can support new employees with poor language skills by offering language classes.

Adjust Your Employee Training Process

To create an accommodating workplace, tailor your training process to accommodate the needs of various employees. For instance, provide training for employees lacking in a specific skill set but is generally great in other valuable aspects.

Also, recommend diversity training to human resources employees and supervisors. Don’t forget to review your policies regularly and monitor your workers’ interactions to ensure compliance.

One way to track your diversity performance is to hire and promote women, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and visible minorities in your leadership and workplace.

Summary

Discrimination and Racism is a menace that has eaten deep into society, manifesting in various sectors, including the workplace. To create an accommodating workplace, follow the solutions we’ve outlined.

Besides being unlawful, racial discrimination brings divisiveness and threatens national peace.

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