June 30th, 2007
One-in-Five Diverse Workers Experience Workplace Discrimination
Twenty-three percent of diverse workers said they have been discriminated against or treated unfairly in the workplace based on their diverse background, according to a study released by CareerBuilder.com and Kelly Services, and conducted by Harris Interactive. The purpose of the study was to gauge the frequency, severity and occasion for perceptions of discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace, whether employee diversity is valued and how diversity impacts hiring decisions, compensation and career advancement. Individuals with disabilities reported the highest incidence at 44 percent of workers while Asian workers and mature workers reported the lowest incidence at 21 percent each. The other diverse groups in this study averaged 28 percent (African American 30 percent; Hispanic 29 percent; female 25 percent; and GLBT 28 percent). Fifteen percent of non-diverse workers (defined as Caucasian males who are not GLBT, disabled or age 50 or older) said they felt discriminated against or treated unfairly in their workplace based on their non-diverse background. While half (55 percent) of diverse workers who experienced discrimination or unfair treatment categorized it as moderate, nearly one-in-five (19 percent) described it as severe. Among those reporting severe discrimination, Asian and Hispanic workers reported the highest levels (26 percent), followed by African American workers (22 percent), mature workers (16 percent), GLBT workers (13 percent) and workers with disabilities (11 percent). When asked how often they feel discriminated against or treated unfairly, 36 percent of all diverse workers said it happens occasionally (defined as 1 to 3 times per year) while 24 percent reported a monthly occurrence and 30 percent reported at least a weekly occurrence. Workers with disabilities reported the highest incidence of experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment on a daily basis at five percent.