Introduction
Discrimination in the workplace environment acts as one of the challenges affecting performance. A review of recent statistics on matters associated with discrimination in the workplace setting indicates that the number of cases associated with discrimination on a wide range of areas is increasing significantly. The most common forms of discrimination include religious, ethnic, gender, and age, which bring about an environment where the work environment lacks diversity. The United States government has been on the forefront in dealing with these forms of discrimination through the implementation of legislation focused on ensuring that employers maintain diversity. However, enforcement of these legislations has remained as a key challenge for the United States government, thus, contributing to the rising cases of discrimination based on the areas highlighted above. From that perspective, it would be important to evaluate different aspects associated with the increasing levels of discrimination in the workplace environment.
Current Statistics
Current statistics on the different areas of discrimination indicate that cases of religious, ethnic, and gender discrimination have been on the increase. The increase in such cases has come about due to laxity on the part of the agencies involved in ensuring that they provide the best possible solutions for dealing with such issues. According to Passel and Cohn (2008), cases of gender discrimination have increased by approximately 13.6% touching on the United States labor market. Some of the multinational organizations have been involved in lawsuits associated with instances where their human resource departments tend to discriminate against applicants. In some of these lawsuits, plaintiffs have been able to prove their case with regard to discrimination on their parts leading to an unfair advantage for some of the candidates. Although the United States constitution has put in place specific outline on how companies ought to engage in their job application processes, the majority of the multinational organizations have flouted the set policies leading to discrimination.
Recent Trends
Based on recent trends, discrimination remains a key challenge not only in the society but also within the workplace environment. On the area of religious discrimination, it is evident that the changing demographics focused on religious groups in the United States have been a contributing factor in promoting religious discrimination. Currently, the biggest percentage of the population in the United States is evangelical protestant, which accounts for 25.4% of the total population. Other religious groups including unaffiliated, catholic, and mainline protestant account for 22.8%, 20.8%, and 14.7% respectively. From these statistics, one may consider religion as one of the key aspects that define discrimination at work based on the shifts in religious population structure in the American social setting.
One of the aspects that create a higher platform for discrimination within the workplace environment is gender, thus, contributing to increased cases of gender imbalance. Recent trends in gender discrimination indicate that cases of discrimination have been on the increase leading to a situation where gender imbalance within the workplace environment is higher than expected. When comparing the number of women holding executive positions in multinational organizations, statistics highlight a significant gender gap. Women within executive positions account for 19.1% of the total number of executive positions. That acts as a clear indication that gender remains a key challenge in the environment.
Lastly, the area of age also remains as a key element contributing to increased cases of discrimination within the workplace environment. Currently, the age structure in the United States is children (17 years and younger) 25%, working age (18-64 years) 63%, and elderly (12%) (Passel & Cohn, 2008). In the working age bracket, individuals between 18 and 35 years are 36%, 36 and 50 years are 42% and 50 and are 65 years are 22%. The statistics presented to provide a clear image of the current age composition within the workplace setting within the United States. Based on the statistics highlighted, it is evident that discrimination occurs for individuals below the age of 35 years and those above the age of 50 years (Pierce, n.d.). Dealing with the issue of age discrimination may create the need for having to create some form of uniformity in the job application process as a way of ensuring that candidates within the two age brackets receive equal opportunities.
Forecasted Trends
The forecasted trends in matters associated with discrimination on the areas highlighted and discussed in the previous section point out that discrimination in several areas is expected to move higher when compared to other key areas. On the area of gender discrimination, a comparison of the historical and recent trends on gender discrimination point to a higher possibility of an increase in discrimination. Gender discrimination is forecasted to increase by approximately 20% within the next 5 years leading to a situation where the gender gap would only increase further (Pierce, n.d.). However, this would depend wholly on the capacity for the government in the enforcement of policies surrounding the area of gender equality, especially in the workplace environment. In the event that the government would enforce these policies, it is expected that the growth in terms of cases associated with gender discrimination would be minimal.
Similarly, discrimination based on age and religion is expected to move higher when compared to the current position. That would come about due to the growing gap between individuals within different religious groups that would create some form of diversity in the job structure as part of the environment. The area of age discrimination would also move higher due to the need for having to create some form of a clique with regard to professional experience. That would mean that job descriptions may contribute to the increased occurrences of age discrimination within the workplace environment. However, discrimination based on ethnicity is expected to move in the opposite direction attributed to the increasing populations of immigrants within the United States. Population projections indicate that the population of immigrants is expected to go higher with an aim of matching that of white Americans.
Historical Issues of Different Races
On the area of ethnicity, the United States has one the most diverse settings attributed to the different ethnic and racial groups in its society. Recent statistics indicate that the United States consists of several racial groups, which include White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian accounting for 67%, 14%, 13%, 5% respectively (as highlighted in figure 1) (Passel & Cohn, 2008). In the work environment, White Americans account for approximately 60% of the employment opportunities with the remaining racial groups account for the rest. That acts as a clear indication that the racial diversity in the social setting, within the United States, acts as a vivid image of the levels of racial discrimination in the workplace environments.
Figure 1: Ethnic/Racial Groups in 2005 and 2050 Projection
How to Handle Them
Supervisors may handle the issues associated with racial discrimination by having to implement non-discriminatory policies surrounding the area of racial discrimination. One of the lacking aspects in the current labour environment relates to the lack of policies surrounding the implementation on racial discrimination (Pierce, n.d.). Thus, these results in the occurrence of a situation where some of the human resource managers tend to focus more on recruiting candidates from specific racial or ethnic backgrounds. However, implementation of policies on racial and ethnic discrimination would act as a platform for better capacities in dealing with the issue at hand. That would bring about a platform for change in human resource management with the focus being towards reducing cases of discrimination.
Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination has been an issue of contention in the implementation of policies surrounding the rising gender gap within the corporate world. In most cases, gender discrimination occurs against women most of who experience major challenges in trying to seek or find adequate employment opportunities. The essence and applicability of the Griggs v. Duke Power, which was filed before the Supreme Court of the United States, comes about in dealing with issues of the job description (FindLaw, 2015). According to the facts, in the case, corporate companies have the responsibility of ensuring that the job descriptions they offer to applicants match their overall standing on employment. That would help prevent cases of discrimination based on several notable areas of consideration that may include race, ethnicity, or gender. To help in the communication process, a supervisor has the mandate of highlighting the strengths that a female may bring about in an all-male team with an aim of preventing an occurrence of discrimination based on gender imbalance.
References
FindLaw. (2015). Griggs v. Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424 (1971). Retrieved from the FindLaw Web site: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=401&invol=424
Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2008). U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050. Retrieved September 5, 2016 from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2008/02/11/us-population-projections-2005-2050/
Pierce, R. (n.d.). Dealing with a changing workforce: Supervision in the 21st century. Retrieved from the Business Expert Webinars Web site: http://www.businessexpertwebinars.com/content/view/593/29/
