WORKFORCE Diversity

• Workforce diversity


  The inclusion of employees from different backgrounds, races, cultures, genders, ages, religions, and sexual orientations in the workplace. It is also about including employees with different abilities and disabilities.
• Workplace discrimination


  Treating an employee or a co-worker differently or less favorably because of their age, race, disability, religion, gender or sexual orientation
• Unfair Treatment


  Unfairly treating an employee because of who they are is discriminatory. When this happens, they may feel ashamed, upset, or scared, leading to a drop in their productivity and performance levels.
• Types of Workforce Diversity

  • Internal
  • External
  • Organizational
  • Worldview
• Internal


  characteristics are those that the employees are born into. This includes gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, and ability.
• External


  characteristics are those that employees acquire from their experiences outside of work. This includes skills, education, life experiences, religious and cultural experiences, and international experience
• Organizational


  the characteristics within the workplace like job functions, management status, employment status, union membership, etc., that can create different perspectives and experiences
• Worldview


  refers to how an individual conceptualizes worldwide events, trends, and information. It consists of the above internal, external, and organizational workforce diversities
• Harassment


  is repeated unreasonable behavior towards an individual. It can manifest verbally, physically, or psychologically. Some forms of harassment include disability harassment, sexual harassment, or racial hatred.
• Exclusion or Isolation by co-workers


  means that your co-workers fail to involve you in activities or interactions. It becomes discriminatory when the cause is based on your protected characteristic
• Unfair Dismissal


  is when your employer ends your contract for unjust or unreasonable grounds. Employees are usually unfairly dismissed when they try to exercise their workplace rights, and their employers don’t allow them to because of discriminatory reasons
• Potential for a public relations crisis to ensue


  News about the company ' s or employees ' discriminatory practices can lead to negative publicity that can turn away even the loyal customers thus, affecting the business
• Costly Lawsuits


  Part of the company's monetary loss will be the legal fees that they have to pay when defending the case in court. If found guilty, it may also have to compensate the victim for damages
• Bad Reputation for the Company


  Beside losing customer, the risk of offending business partners and potential applicants as people do not want to be associate themselves with discriminatory brands
• High Employee Turnover


  Skilled and competent employees that are discriminated against will not choose to stay in the company. This can lead the company to spend additional resources on recruitment and training
• Denial of Transfers and other Opportunities


  When supervisors deny an employee a transfer to a lateral employment position or a promotion because of their protected characteristic, it’s considered workplace discrimination
• Prohibition on Discrimination Against Women (Republic Act 6725)


  When you are not hired or are given a low-paying position because you're a woman, it's discriminatory and punishable under RA 6725. The employer will be fined P1,000 to P10,000 and may also be imprisoned for three months to three years.
• Extended Maternity Leave Law (Republic Act 11210)


  As a woman, you are entitled to 105 days of maternity leave. Under this law, employers can't refuse to hire or fire you because you're pregnant. If employers don't comply, they are subject to fines not less than P20,000 but not more than P200,000. They may also be imprisoned for six to twelve years.
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (Republic Act 7877)


  Sexual harassment can come from a colleague, supervisor. or client. It can manifest through making inappropriate comments or a promise of promoting someone in exchange for sexual favors. RA 7877 protects workers from these acts. Violators will face imprisonment of one to six months and a fine of P10.000 to P20,000.
• The Solo Parents' Welfare Act (Republic Act No. 8972)


  Regardless of your marital status, as long as you're solely responsible for a child's upbringing (may it be your own, your niece, nephew, or godchild), you're entitled to the benefits that come with a solo-parent ID. These benefits include a flexible work schedule and a 7-day parental leave.
• Anti-age Discrimination in Employment Act (Republic Act No. 10911)


  This Act promotes equal work opportunities for everyone by prohibiting age limitations when hiring or dismissing applicants. If an employer fails to comply, they're subject to a fine not less than P50,000 but not more than P500,000 and imprisonment of three months to two years.
• Magna Carta of Disabled Persons (Republic Acts No. 7277 & 9442)


  Disabled persons shouldn't be denied access to opportunities for suitable employment. Additionally, no one is allowed to contemptuously imitate and utter abusive statements against a person with a disability. Violators will be fined P50.000 to P100.000 and imprisoned for six months to two years.
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Presidential Decree No. 966)


  Employees are legally protected from racial discrimination by PD 966. It's unlawful to treat employees unfairly because of their race. color, or ethnic origin. This decree does not condone offenses like derogatory language and name-calling. The penalty for violating this decree is imprisonment for at least ten days to six months.
• The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (Republic Act No. 8371)


  promotes and protects the rights of indigenous peoples. When in the workplace, they should be free from any form of discrimination and provided with equal opportunity and treatment. The penalty for any violation is imprisonment for nine months to 12 years, a fine of P100.000 to P500,000, or both.