Workplace discrimination is one of the worst things someone can experience at their job. We work to feed our families, put roofs over our heads, and live our lives comfortably: but that’s not possible when work becomes a place of distrust and feeling unsafe. We all want a workplace where we can feel respected, but unfortunately, that’s not available everywhere.
Workplace discrimination can rob a worker of a lot, but how can you tell when it’s happening?
Employee Missing Work
If an employee who was always good at arriving on time and showing up for every shift is suddenly missing a lot of work, something’s wrong. This might mean something is going on in their personal life, or it could mean that they’re losing faith in the company if you notice an employee suddenly missing a lot of work, having a conversation with them.
They’re not children, don’t admonish them for their missed hours; just check-in and try to figure out what’s causing it. If they don’t have a clear answer or avoidant, ask probing questions to find out if there’s anything the office can do to help. Then, give them the chance to tell you what they’re experiencing.
High Turnover Rate
Look at who gets hired and who gets fired. Does your company have a massive turnover of one specific type of person, or is it even across the boards? Discrimination is one of the top reasons people will quit a job after only working there a couple of months. Conduct exit interviews without supervisors or managers around, and talk to the employees about what made them want to quit. Make it clear that they’re not in trouble, and let them share their side of the story. Ignoring this and letting them go may lead to discrimination cases against the company.
Employees Being Avoidant
Are employees avoiding social situations, or are they completely shutting down around their coworkers? Some people are shy and may never open up, but if you notice someone who used to be talkative or who had a lot of personalities suddenly shutting down around their coworkers, there’s something wrong here. Of course, you can’t fix everything, but you should work to help figure out if it’s an office-related issue or not.
Anxiety takes several different forms, so it’s important to remember regardless of the context that sometimes the issue may be their home life. You should allow space for the employees to come clean if it’s a work-related issue or keep their privacy if it’s personal. Don’t harass them into sharing if they’re unwilling to share.
Employee Work Ethic Drops
Is the quality of work coming from one of your teams suddenly diminishing? A change like this is usually due to supervising issues. First, talk to these workers and find out if it’s because they feel discriminated against or if it’s due to a disagreement with their supervisor. If it’s not discrimination, ask what you can do to correct the issue: if it is discrimination, you’ve found something that has to be fixed immediately.
