Discrimination and Bullying at The Work Place

Running head: DISCRIMINATION AT THE WORKPLACE 1
Discrimination at the Workplace
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

DISCRIMINATION AT THE WORK PLACE 2
Discrimination and Bullying at The Work Place
Discrimination and bullying at the workplace are a common occurrence. The main
grounds for discrimination are race, religion, social status, nationality, gender, and disability. The
laws against discrimination that have made these occurrences less common than they were in the
past include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the American with Disabilities Act.
In the first case study involving Danielle, I believe the CEO is displaying sexist behavior.
Firstly, sexism is classified as either overt sexism or casual sexism. Overt sexism is obvious
sexual harassment which includes sexual comments and advances. Casual sexism is less obvious
and is also referred to as latent sexism. Casual sexism is so embedded in the company culture
such that it goes unnoticed. It can include harmless sexist jokes or where your boss treats your
colleagues differently than they treat you.
The case of Danielle is casual sexism. Her boss calls her “office mum” though the other
male figures in the company are referred to by their names. Secondly, he gives her chores that he
wouldn’t dare give her male counterparts in management. For example, telling her to organize
for coffee or to handle office birthdays which is something he could delegate to support staff.
Strategies For Ending Gender-Based Discrimination
The three strategies that Danielle could employ without sounding disrespectful to the
CEO are as follows:
Speaking Up: Danielle should speak up and question her boss’s actions. She should ask
her boos if he would act the same way if he was dealing with male counterparts. This gesture
will shed light on the issue and compel her boss to review his behavior.
Find Support: There is power in numbers. If Danielle can rally other victims of sexism,
she will be able to strongly protect against such behavior. When the other staff members start
acknowledging their sentiments against sexist behavior, Danielle’s boss will be forced to change
his attitude due to public demand.
Provide a Solution: Since Danielle is constantly being targeted for certain tasks, she
should ask the CEO to introduce a rotating schedule. This way, people in top management will
take turns in performing those chores that she is solely being told to do. Bringing this up will
help the boss acknowledge that he has been treating Danielle unfairly.
Strategies to Stop Bad Behavior Without Revealing Confidential Information
Improve Awareness and Training: In many cases, discrimination arises due to ignorance.
The best way to fight this is by educating employees about discriminatory behavior and the laws
on discrimination. I would use this approach because it addresses the reasons discrimination is
wrong and helps ignorant employees come to appreciate and respect co-workers who are
different.