Introduction
Upholding ethical character is essential to the success of any organization. In fact, lack thereof compromises a company’s performance as it leads to mediocre performance or complete failure. With this in mind, it is worth appreciating the fact that the people in a work environment are exposed to multiple forms of discrimination. The development of this issue is largely accredited to the fact that the corporate environment has a broad level of diversity. As such, some individuals might not appreciate the personalities of other workers, and they may end up making discriminatory criticisms. Sexually oriented discrimination is very pervasive in the work environment. It involves the administration of prejudice leading to adverse actions such as harassment, denial of certain benefits, or verbal abuse because of one’s sexual orientation (Magley et al. 234). This paper evaluates sexually oriented behaviors in the workplace that foster discrimination. It also provides a rationale to how one should respond to such situations through diplomatic processes to avoid violence. For a fact, there is a need to prevent the prevalent sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace by acting ethically since this setback negatively affects the employees’ self-esteem.
What would you do?
For a fact, Jim’s encounter is an explicit representation of the pervasive levels of sexual discrimination in the workplace. I would advise him to take the most appropriate measures to ensure the adverse actions of his coworkers are accounted for effectively. Primarily, I would counsel him to forward the complaint to the supervisor. According to the American Sociological review, sexual orientation discrimination occurs when one treats other individuals differently because of their perceived or real sexual alignment (McLaughlin, Christopher and Amy 360). In this case, Jacob and his colleagues acted unethically by making derogatory remarks about Jim’s sexual orientation. Approaching the supervisor is an influential initiative as it would enable Jim to present his formal complaint to the organization’s management. In case he decides to further his grievances to a higher authority, the supervisor would acknowledge the credibility of the claim. This initiative is relevant to organizational policies as it considers the importance of corporate hierarchy in the presentation of charges. Precisely it maintains confidentiality in the presentation of complaints.
Additionally, I would advise Jim to document his claim. Proper documentation of organizational claims enhances the credibility of one’s grievances by making them official. Since Jim’s body characteristics are almost feminine, there is a need to respect one’s personality and physical appearance. In this case, Jacob and his colleagues should have desisted from making their discriminatory to uphold their respect for diversity. The internal dimensions of diversity give a provision for one’s ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. As such, discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation violate the fundamental organizational principles associated with diversity. I would inform Jim to outline the occurrence of the events during his discriminatory encounter. Additionally, I would instruct him to quote the exact remarks made by the people violating his sexual rights. Through this initiative, the relevance of the claim presented by the victim would be augmented due to the level of formality in documented complaints. As such, Jim would be in a better position to present a case against his violators.
I would counsel Jim to find witnesses to his claim. Engaging in this initiative would heighten the credibility of his claim. Because the United States Supreme Court protects heterosexuals’ marriage rights, it is unlawful to engage in discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation (McLaughlin, Christopher and Amy 645). In this case, Jacob’s actions are contrary to the Equality Act that protects the welfare of the LGBT community. In spite of the fact that Jims sexual orientation is not official to the organization, making negative speculations to hurt his self-esteem was improper and is worthy of conviction. As such, I would ensure that Jim finds enough witnesses to strengthen the validity of his complaint. Through this initiative, the possibility of the plaintiff being successful in the legal proceedings is heightened. Since I was part of the witness team, I would equally inform Jim to include me in his list of witnesses. Engaging in this action would minimize the instances of sexually oriented discrimination within the organization I work for. Additionally, it would give Jim a chance to feel more secure about his sexuality as the law protects him.
Finally, I would advise Jim to complain to a government agency before filing a lawsuit. According to Magley et al. (237), the most appropriate procedure for one to follow before filing discrimination suit should begin with the reviewing of the company policies. Since sexual discrimination is contrary to the policies of the organization I work for, I would enlighten Jim to present a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Utilizing government agencies before filing a lawsuit to the civil courts is an influential approach as it gives a provision for solving the problem with the employer and the responsible employees to provide constructive feedback to the victim. In this case, Jacob and his colleagues would be held accountable for their discriminatory actions before the commission. As such, Jim would get the justice he deserves for the sexual discrimination he experienced.
How would you respond if you knew Jim is in the process of transitioning from male to female?
If I were aware of Jim’s transition, I would inform Jacob and the colleagues who made negative remarks about Jim’s sexuality to desist the behavior promptly. According to McLaughlin, Christopher, and Amy (639), sexual discrimination negatively affects and individual’s self-esteem and overall productivity. In this case, I would enlighten them on the importance of respecting Jim’s sexual orientation. Additionally, I would offer my moral and psychological support to Jim to make him feel appreciated within the work environment. Since sexual orientation should not be considered while associating with members in the workplace, I would not distance myself from communicating with him since this action would negatively affect his self-worth. I would also advise him to publicize his sexual orientation to other colleagues to avoid the emergence of discriminatory speculations. Making his sexual alignment clear to all the employees would minimize the chances of people criticizing his behavioral activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintenance of a conducive work environment is essential to the success of any organization. As such, organizational managements should do their best to minimize the cases of sexually oriented discrimination as indulgence in this vice negatively impacts people’s productivity. A large section of the corporate environment experiences this discrimination due to the inadequacies of company policies to avert this problem. Additionally, most employees are unaware of their freedoms from this form of harassment and as a result, they end up taking inefficient responses against their oppressors. Managing misbehavior should be the top concern for the managements of organizations in creating a conducive work environment. Taking appropriate measures to uphold diversity within the firm heightens the possibilities of minimizing sexually oriented discrimination. Consequently, eliminating sexual discrimination in the workplace would have a positive impact on the employees’ self-esteem and overall productivity.
Works Cited
Magley, Vicki J., et al. "Changing sexual harassment within organizations via training interventions: Suggestions and empirical data." The fulfilling workplace: The organization’s role in achieving individual and organizational health (2013): 225-246.
McLaughlin, Heather, Christopher Uggen, and Amy Blackstone. "Sexual harassment, workplace authority, and the paradox of power." American sociological review 77.4 (2012): 625-647.
