It is up to employers to ensure that their employees don’t have to deal with discrimination of any sort. When there are claims of discrimination, they have to be handled immediately or they can spiral out of control. One of the most effective ways to ensure that your company is protected is to set very strict standards regarding discrimination.
All employers should have clear guidance about what is considered discrimination in the workplace. Employees in supervisory positions should be trained on the various types of discrimination that can occur, including direct and indirect.
Direct discrimination is what most people think about regarding this subject. This happens when someone takes a specific action, such as refusing to hire a person because of their race. These individuals are targeted based on something about them.
Indirect discrimination means that there is a requirement that is being imposed that a person with a specific attribute couldn’t do. An example would be requiring that a person work during their weekly worship service hours despite them letting their employer know about their religious matters.
When a worker makes a claim of discrimination, remember that they might be the victim, but they can also be a witness. These complaints must be fully investigated. While supervisors might want to believe each other and protect one another, they shouldn’t let that comradery stand in the way of making sure that the company is protected. This is why it is good to have an outside person who isn’t involved with any parties in the complaint to handle these investigations so the employer can have an accurate account of what happened. Then, appropriate measures can be taken.