To stop it, you got to first spot it.
Any form of discrimination within a practice can have dire consequences on the said work place and permanently damage its’ reputation. Hence it is crucial for Employers to educate themselves and their staff on identifying the most common types of discrimination faced by employees in today’s working environment.
Direct Discrimination:
Ill-treating someone owing to a particular characteristic such as ethnicity, gender, age, civil status, beliefs or sexual orientation is deemed to be direct discrimination. It is the most common form of discrimination in today’s society which should not be tolerated.
Associative Discrimination:
As with Direct Discrimination, in this case it refers to treating someone differently simply because they have a close association with another individual who is directly discriminated in the eyes of Society. Eg- ill-treating an employee who is of mixed ethnicity
Perceptive Discrimination:
Refers to the discrimination faced by a person who is “assumed” or “thought” to possess above mentioned characteristics. Grave danger here is that the said individual may not even possess those characteristics at times.
Indirect Discrimination:
Unlike direct discrimination that is apparently evident, in this case it refers to singling out a person who may not be able to conform to all societal rules & expected societal norms. Eg- A person who doesn’t drink or smoke at a Corporate Function may be ridiculed, owing to their fervent religious belief that prevents them from doing so.
Harassment & Bullying:
Refers to the mental and physical harassment individuals face due to the possession of specified characteristics mentioned above. Eg- being psychologically abused due to a sexual orientation that may not be accepted by a certain Employer or Practice.
