Though most companies today point to their workforce being more diverse than ever, there are still many problems related to gender discrimination in the 21st-century workplace. While this issue can affect male employees in some cases, most problems focus on females who are denied a chance to be hired for certain positions, are not allowed to gain promotions within their companies, or face various types of work discrimination in the form of derogatory comments or offensive actions that lead to a hostile work environment. While many of these practices are illegal, proving they took place and holding individuals and companies accountable for their actions can be a complex, confusing, and frustrating process. But as more light is shed on this workplace issue, more and more people are now examining not only the major causes and effects of this type of discrimination, but also what solutions can be used to solve the problem.
Wage Inequality
While female employees have made great strides over the years in being paid accordingly for their work, wage inequality still continues to be one aspect of discrimination that still occurs in many companies. Based on the latest research form the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, female workers across the spectrum earn an average of only 82 cents for every one dollar earned by a male coworker in the same position. As a result, many females become quite discouraged during the course of their employment, thus leaving for other opportunities or even leaving the workforce altogether. When this occurs, it allows the work discrimination to continue, creating a cycle that is difficult to break.
Maximizing Skills and Talents
When gender discrimination takes place in a business, one of the most negative effects is a failure to fully maximize the skills and talents of all employees, especially female workers. Whether it is within a manufacturing environment, high-tech company, or an office setting, failing to allow female employees to use their existing skills and talents as well as become trained in new ones leads to a company that eventually stagnates, resulting in decreased productivity and profits. While many female employees will eventually accept this behavior, others choose to use their workplace rights to gain further training and opportunities for advancement by hiring a gender discrimination lawyer.
Lack of Opportunities
When female workers are not allowed to gain additional training and use their existing skill set within a company, another result is a severe under-representation of females within many important industries. In today’s workplace, this is very evident in such fields as math and science, engineering, building trades, and automotive, where females usually make up only a small percentage of workers. In most instances, one of the major reasons is male business owners or management personnel who have long-held beliefs that women simply do not belong in certain career areas. As this occurs, one result becomes women who are in these fields becoming discouraged by the actions of coworkers and the lack of opportunities they are provided to participate in important projects or state-of-the-art training endeavors. When female employees are denied such opportunities, they should not sit back and do nothing. Instead, they should speak with an experienced gender discrimination attorney from West Coast Employment Lawyers.
A Less Motivated Work Force
As these situations become more prolonged within a company, both male and female employees often begin to become less motivated on the job. This is often due to the constant daily conflict and tension that mounts within work teams, which prevents them from focusing on the task at hand. In fact, female workers begin to focus mostly on how they can stop this cycle of work discrimination against them. Instead of thinking about how to do the best possible job on a task, many female employees begin turning their attention to what measures they can take to gain equal rights within their company, such as filing a complaint with Human Resources or perhaps speaking with a knowledgeable gender discrimination lawyer. Whatever the case may be, a less motivated work force of both males and females creates a tidal wave of problems for a company that often leads to legal action taking place.
Filing Formal Complaints
Once a female worker decides to put a stop to the gender discrimination taking place against her, she will have a variety of options for filing formal complaints. The first step is to usually speak with a member of company management, which even if expected to be unproductive will result in a report being generated regarding the alleged discrimination. Along with this, the worker can file a complaint with the company’s Human Resources director. This can be crucial, since doing so will force the HR director to explain other options to the employee, such as filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission based on a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though these initial complaints to company management may make a tense situation worse, they do begin the process toward what may eventually become a powerful discrimination lawsuit. Yet before taking these steps, it is best to speak with a gender discrimination attorney from West Coast Employment Lawyers.
Gathering Evidence
If a female suspects she is being discriminated against due to her gender and is considering filing a complaint, it is vital she gather as much evidence as possible to support her claims. By doing so, she increases the chances the U.S. EEOC will determine discrimination did take place, and also bolsters her chances a civil lawsuit will find in her favor. By gathering together such evidence as current and prior performance evaluations, emails, and other evidence, it will allow investigators and attorneys to examine the company’s hiring protocols and history. When this happens, patterns of prior discrimination often emerge, opening the doors to a formal complaint or lawsuit going full-steam ahead and ultimately finding in favor of the worker.
Changing Job Requirements
In an effort to alleviate potential problems of discrimination, many companies are taking innovative steps to solve the problem. One of the most popular is taking a closer look at existing job requirements regarding education and experience. By doing so, companies often find many jobs can be done by female workers through a combination of education, experience, and on-the-job training. By making these changes, companies allow more opportunities for females to work in male-dominated industries. In addition, this lets many females who may have been out of the work force for years due to raising families to reenter into well-paying jobs that are fulfilling and offer opportunities for advancement.
Sensitivity Training
Along with changing job requirements, many companies now require mandatory sensitivity training of male employees regarding discriminatory practices and the impact they have on businesses. Consisting of classroom training and role-playing exercises, these seminars often allow male employees to gain a greater understanding of why eliminating workplace discrimination based on gender is so important. At many seminars, companies invite a gender discrimination attorney to provide insight into possible legal consequences of discrimination, which can have a significant impact on those in attendance.
If you find yourself discriminated against due to your gender, contact a gender discrimination lawyer at West Coast Employment Lawyers for a consultation.
