As part of the year-long observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Glassdoor conducted a 2019 LGBTQ Workplace Survey. The website asked more than 6,000 employees about the on-the-job treatment of LGBTQ workers.
The results make it clear that workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual preference continues in far too many places of employment. More than half of LGBTQ employees said they have “experienced or witnessed anti-LGBTQ comments by co-workers.”
Nearly two years ago, the #Metoo movement swept through the United States, leading to the downfall of several high-profile men—most notably, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and Fox CEO Roger Ailes—who also were shown to be sexual abusers or sexual harassers.
Since then, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saw an 12% increase in sexual harassment charges for 2018. Yet, sexual harassment is not always so obvious as an unwanted touch or sexual advance.
Despite the thriving LGBT community in South Florida, the state as a whole still lacks important protections for LGBT individuals against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Same-sex marriage was only legalized in Florida due to a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. And if anti-discrimination protections are to be implemented statewide, it may again be due to federal intervention.
In the fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in what may be a landmark case. The Court ruling could finally decide whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.
Even though workplace discrimination should be a thing of the past, it still comes into play time and time again. For example, age and gender discrimination remains a common problem throughout the country.
If you have reason to believe you're the victim of workplace discrimination, here are five things to do:
Age discrimination is a serious concern for workers over a certain age. Employers may be reticent to hire older staff members for a number of reasons. There is a cultural stereotype that leads people to believe that older workers aren't as good with technology as younger workers.
Additionally, hiring skilled older workers often be much more expensive than a student fresh out of college. Regardless of why a company does it, it is frustrating for a skilled worker to encounter age discrimination when looking for a new or better job. You may start looking for ways to help yourself stay competitive as an older applicant in a work economy increasingly favoring the young.
Many people think of workplace gender discrimination as obvious. There certainly are situations in which it becomes evident that an employer is intentionally engaging in systemic discrimination against an entire gender.
For example, company-wide pay discrepancies between the different genders, as well as a dearth of one gender or the other in important, executive or managerial roles is a warning sign that the company doesn't offer equal opportunities for both genders.
If you are like most Americans, you probably don't know what your co-workers actually earn. Many companies specifically put non-disclosure policies about wages in their contracts. They do this to avoid the awkward moment when equally qualified employees in similar positions realize that one makes much more money than the other for no discernible reason.
By preventing employees from discussing what they make, companies avoid liability and responsibility when it comes to various forms of employment discrimination. Gender as well as age can play a role in how much a person makes.
When you think of gender discrimination, you may only think about it involving discrimination against women. However, that's not always the case. It's equally possible to discriminate against men.
For example, imagine that a business has an all-female staff. A man applies, but he's immediately denied the position due to not "fitting the image" of the company. If you can see that no men have been hired and that there is no reason for females to be preferred specifically for the job, then this could constitute discrimination.
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was enacted to protect Americans from various forms of discrimination. At first, it outlawed discrimination based on gender, race and ethnicity. Later, additional laws were passed to protect individuals from other forms of discrimination including age and disability. Unfortunately, even with these protections in place, workplace discrimination still occurs in Fort Lauderdale as well as other cities in Florida and across the United States.
In many instances, discrimination can be subtle and almost undetectable. If fact, employees often do not realize that they are being subjected to unfair practices. This is why it is important to know how to recognize the signs of workplace discrimination.
Being denied a promotion you think you deserve and for which you believe you are qualified can be a very disheartening feeling. In addition, seeing a coworker who is less experienced receive the promotion can be disconcerting. You may question whether you have been discriminated against, especially if the person who received the promotion was not the same gender as you.
Gender discrimination in the workplace counts as any type of negative behavior toward a worker that is based on their gender identity. This could be the act of paying two workers of the opposite sex unequally for equal work, or it could be the denial of employment or a promotion because of the applicant's gender. If you believe that you are a victim of gender discrimination because of a promotion denial, it is important that you understand how the law applies in Florida.
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