Many New York residents might expect that fewer people face discrimination on the job decades after civil rights laws were enacted. However, despite the rise in diversity consulting and corporate inclusion initiatives, large numbers of workers continue to report instances of discrimination, racism, sexism and anti-LGBT prejudice on the job. According to a study conducted by the online employment review site Glassdoor, around one-third of adults have either witnessed racial discrimination in the workplace or have been the victims themselves. When all forms of unlawful discrimination are taken into account, the numbers are even more staggering.
Around 5,000 workers from various countries were surveyed. Given the substantial number of large corporations that have a global presence, workers were surveyed in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany. All of these countries have laws banning discrimination on the basis of race or sex at work. On an international level, 31% of respondents said that they had seen or been a victim of race discrimination, while 25% said that they either witnessed or experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation. Even more said that they had witnessed or suffered from gender discrimination at work.
The United States had the highest percentage of reports about discrimination on the job. Around 61% of American respondents said that they had seen racism, sexism or other forms of bigotry at work. The next highest total was found in the U.K., where 55% reported the same. However, respondents noted that many of these incidents went unreported. Younger workers were more likely to file an official complaint when experiencing discrimination.
Many workers subjected to employment discrimination do not report the mistreatment because of a valid fear of retaliation, also unlawful. An employment law attorney may help workers discriminated against on the job to protect their rights and seek justice.
