A new report by the Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity shows that workplace discrimination is alive and well. More than 60 percent of respondents said that they had been the victim of discrimination or harassment at their place of employment. Additionally, more than half of diverse respondents reported that they had experienced microaggressions and pushback when pitching ideas that were rejected, but those same ideas were often accepted at a later time when they were pitched by non-diverse employees.
The report was designed to examine how diverse television writers are being treated in Hollywood. Respondents included writers who identified themselves as female, non-binary, people of color, LGBTQ and people with disabilities. While more than half of the respondents were hired because of their diversity, very little opportunity was provided for those same employees to advance their careers. Many women reported that they were the only woman on the writing staff. The same was true for non-binary writers, people of color and LGBTQ writers.
The report suggested several ways to improve the treatment of diverse workers, including the collection of data that would be used to track and review staffing submissions to ensure that diverse workers are being treated in an equitable fashion. The report also called for more guidelines, educational programs and mentorships designed to increase the number of promotions among diverse writers.
Workplace discrimination can occur in a number of ways from hiring practices to hostile work environments; it can be subtle or blatantly offensive. However, all workplace discrimination is illegal. Some companies and corporations provide an appeals process for workers who feel that they have been discriminated against while others do not. Anyone who thinks they are the victim of workplace discrimination might want to contact a law firm with experience in workplace discrimination.