Diversity in the Workplace
Cheryl Burton
Chamberlain College Of Nursing
Cultural Diversity in Professions
Fall 2013

What comes to mind when you hear the word diversity? Many people have the notion that diversity refers to the differences in race, culture and religion; when it actually goes beyond those differences. Diversity is a “real or perceived difference among people in race, ethnicity, sex, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, work and family status, weight and appearance, and other identity-based attributes that affect their interactions and relationships” (Bell,2012,8). We encounter people who display these differences throughout our day to day lives. It is important to understand the values, beliefs and other differences that each person has to offer. Imagine being a person who is in a minority group, always receiving unequal treatment and has to adjust their lifestyle to function in society. Placing a sock over my hand put me into a different category based on the physical ability of bring right handed. This experiment gave me the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a minority. Our daily lives do not cater to the minority groups and the challenge is very hard to overcome. I had and extremely hard time cooking dinner, brushing my teeth, cranking my car and there were many other obstacles. I often found myself annoyed that things were so hard to do. It was a real eye opener that left handed people are at a disadvantage in a society that is geared towards right handed people. I work with a woman who is left handed and often times will sit at her desk to use the computer or telephone. For me, sitting at her desk is very awkward and things are difficult to do. It is important to accommodate employee differences in order to create a comfortable and successful environment. Diversity in the workplace must be accepted by the employees, managers and all other professionals. We must be careful not to discriminate among current and prospective employees. Assess discrimination and treatment discrimination affect the company’s moral. Access discrimination refers to denial of employment based on some aspect of diversity. Treatment discrimination is created when employees are not given the same opportunities, rewards and others due to sex, race, age, etc. It is important to avoid discrimination in the workplace because it affects all of the employees and the company. A few ways in which discrimination directly affects a company are by influencing employee productivity, limiting advancement potential, creating a less desirable work environment, causes the company to miss out on “talented” employees and affects the relationships between current employees. There are many laws that help protect individuals in the workplace to not become a victim of discrimination. These