There are a number of ways that workplace discrimination can rear its ugly head. From issues involving race or religion to problems with sexual harassment, business owners need to take steps to safeguard against discrimination in the workplace. Otherwise, they may not only have difficulty retaining employees but they also may find themselves facing discrimination-related lawsuits.
Create a Policy
Create a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy for your business. The best way to accomplish this is by sitting down with an attorney who specializes in workplace discrimination cases. That way, you can be sure that the manual you put together will stand up to legal scrutiny if it ever is challenged.
Build Support
Make sure your managerial staff is on board. Once you have completed your anti-discrimination manual, you should set up a time to meet with all of your managers to talk about the information that it contains. This is the perfect time to answer any questions that your management team may have. Additionally, you should ask everyone who attends the training to sign a form stating that they understand what they learned.
Introduce to Employees
Introduce the discrimination policies to your employees. Ideally, you should set up a training program for employees where they can learn what constitutes workplace discrimination and how to avoid running into problems. Again, make sure that all of the employees who attend this training sign a form that states that they have a good understanding of the material that was covered.
Use in Groups
Focus on diversity when putting together groups to work on different projects or when building individual departments.
Facilitate Communication
Make it easy for employees to report potential workplace discrimination issues to your HR staff. Ideally, one or more of the employees in your human resources department should be specifically trained on how to handle discrimination issues. Because these topics are often sensitive, employees need to feel safe enough to share their stories with trained professionals who can help them.
Allow Rebuttals
If an employee is accused of discrimination, they will have to respond to the complaint. Typically, the best way to handle this is by setting up a time to meet with the employee. Make sure that the employee’s supervisor and a representative from the human resources department are on hand for the meeting.
Expedite Discipline
If a workplace discrimination incident has occurred, the accused employee should be disciplined quickly. Information about the complaint should also be added to their file.
Ultimately, the goal of every business owner should be to create a welcoming work environment that is free from discrimination and that encourages employees to respect one another.
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