One-in-Five Diverse Workers Have Experienced Discrimination or Unfair Treatment at Work

One-in-Five Diverse Workers Have Experienced Discrimination or Unfair Treatment at Work, CareerBuilder.com and Kelly Services Survey Shows

CareerBuilder.com and Kelly Services released the results of a new study, conducted by Harris Interactive, of diverse workers and non-diverse workers across the country. The purpose of the study was to gauge the frequency, severity and occasion for perceptions of discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace, whether employee diversity is valued and how diversity impacts hiring decisions, compensation and career advancement. While the list of factors that makes one diverse is wide-ranging, this study focused primarily on workers in seven groups: 1) African American 2) Hispanic 3) Asian 4) Female 5) Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) 6) Individuals with disabilities and 7) Mature workers age 50 or older.

Incidence of Discrimination or Unfair Treatment in the Workplace

Twenty-three percent of diverse workers said they have been discriminated against or treated unfairly in the workplace based on their diverse background. Individuals with disabilities reported the highest incidence at 44 percent of workers while Asian workers and mature workers reported the lowest incidence at 21 percent each. The other diverse groups in this study averaged 28 percent (African American 30 percent; Hispanic 29 percent; Female 25 percent; and GLBT 28 percent).

Discrimination was not limited to those who classified themselves as diverse. Fifteen percent of non-diverse workers (defined as Caucasian males who are not GLBT, disabled or age 50 or older) said they felt discriminated against or treated unfairly in their workplace based on their non-diverse background.

Severity of Discrimination or Unfair Treatment in the Workplace

While half (55 percent) of diverse workers who experienced discrimination or unfair treatment categorized it as moderate, nearly one-in-five (19 percent) described it as severe. Among those reporting severe discrimination, Asian and Hispanic workers reported the highest levels (26 percent), followed by African American workers (22 percent), mature workers (16 percent), GLBT workers (13 percent) and workers with disabilities (11 percent).

Frequency of Discrimination or Unfair Treatment in the Workplace

When asked how often they feel discriminated against or treated unfairly, 36 percent of all diverse workers said it happens occasionally (defined as 1 to 3 times per year) while 24 percent reported a monthly occurrence and 30 percent reported at least a weekly occurrence. Workers with disabilities reported the highest incidence of experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment on a daily basis at 5 percent. Workers with disabilities, mature workers and female workers reported the highest incidence of experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment at least once a week at 38 percent, 34 percent and 31 percent respectively. They are followed by 29 percent of Hispanic workers, 27 percent of African American workers, 22 percent of Asian workers and 21 percent of GLBT workers. GLBT workers reported the highest incidence (60 percent) of experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace once a month.