Custom «Discrimination » Essay Paper Sample

There are many forms of discrimination. Typically when one thinks of discrimination, it is thought of in its most noticeable forms. For instance, a woman is not hired for a management position strictly because of the fact that she is a woman. Or a black man receives no promotion in a company because of the color of his skin. In fact, there are many types of discrimination: age discrimination, racial discrimination, religious discrimination, gender discrimination, and discrimination because of certain disabilities.

Discrimination in the workplace can affect a person's self-esteem, it could foster violence, and can cause legal issues directed towards individuals or the company as a whole. This is something that no companies want in their workplace. Legal proceedings brings with it negativity and resentment.

One possible effect of discrimination is lower self-esteem. A person could start blaming him or herself and lose their willingness to even try to work again. This could result in making a person think that no one will ever hire him or her because of his or her race, religion, gender, national origin, etc., which could lead them to just give up. For example, if a black person tries to get a job at an all white company and does not get hired, then it makes the black person automatically feel that his or her race had every reason to do with it. So, instead of trying again, he or she gives up hope and thinks, "it's just because he or she is black."

Another possible effect that discrimination could have is that it may foster violence. When people are turned down for a job and feel that it was because of any of the above-mentioned discriminating factors, they may try to get even by retaliation. For instance, a particular group or individual who may get turned down from a job again may try to hurt someone with a gun, knife, or bare hands. (Modern Language Association) Even though violence is never the answer to problems, people may feel that it is the only way to get even. Some people just get so angry that they do not even want to hear why they did not get the job; instead, they get violent. Then, they think that they feel so much better because they think they have done something, but, soon, they will realize that they were wrong.

A third possible effect of discrimination based on race could involve legal action against a company. Again, if people feel that they are being discriminated against, they may try to bring a lawsuit against that company and take it to court. For example, if a Mexican person tries to get a job at a bank owned company primarily by white people and does not get the job, and then he or she can take the bank to court. If the judge finds probable cause in favor of the Mexican person, the bank can very well go out of business.

Discrimination strongly hinders upward mobility of employees who are victims of discrimination. Discrimination has been around for a very long time, and it will always be around. People should not judge others based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion, etc. Sometimes, outside appearance could really trick someone. If people are in a high places, there's nothing wrong with reaching down to lend someone a helping hand no matter what race he or she is; after all, someone may have helped other people to get to where they are today. Employers should look beyond people's race and really get to know who they are on the inside because those people could have the necessary skills that employers are looking for. When the time will come when people are all treated like human beings no matter what color they are.

"Discrimination exacts a financial cost in the form of lower salary. Recent multivariate research on U.S. Census Bureau data, controlling for education and other wage-related factors, shows that the white-black wage gap (i.e., "the cost of being black") has continued to be more than 10 percent, about the same as in the 1970s. In addition, the effect of discrimination over the life course suggests a cumulative impact on wages such that the earning gap between young blacks and whites becomes greater as this age cohort gets older" (Franklin and Moss, 2000).

Listed are some other consequences that happen as a result of discrimination in the workplace:

· The loss of highly skilled, experienced and talented staff;

· Lower job and lower wages;

· Lower rates of promotion for women;

· Increased costs associated with staff turnover and absenteeism;

· Increased costs of recruitment and training new staff;

· Service delivery to clients;

· Reduced efficiency and productivity;

· Poor morale, erosion of employee loyalty and commitment;

· An unsafe working environment; and

· Legal risks and legal costs for the company

· Segregation by job and/or wage discrimination;

· One-group bands together to improve their well being at the expense of other groups.

No matter how you perceive discrimination, it has detrimental effects on the workplace and on individuals.

Discrimination is to make a choice, a distinction. We all make choices, and distinctions every day. Discrimination becomes illegal when choices, based on prohibited grounds, limit possibilities of some groups or some individuals. No matter how you perceive discrimination, it has detrimental effects on the workplace and on individuals.