People have always needed to work together to succeed in creating profitable businesses. In today’s business environment, employers have a large pool of talent to select from when hiring. But this variety brings unique challenges of its own when it comes to creating an equal opportunity workplace. This includes hiring people from all walks of life: different races, religions, languages, lifestyles, and many other unique characteristics. For your organization to succeed, everyone needs to be on the same page and working towards the same goal. Compliance Training Group offers Diversity Awareness training to assist employers in creating cultural awareness and inclusion for all employees.
Diversity training helps participants become aware of other cultures and lifestyles in order to increase empathy among co-workers. The goal of cultural diversity training is to address the elephant in the room: Poor cross-cultural communication, resentment, and competition for advancement opportunities.
Our diversity training program addresses the importance of cultural competence, the persistent problem of biases and stereotypes, and the how employers and co-workers have to learn to work together toward the organization’s goals.
Our Diversity and inclusion training will create sensitivity and understanding amongst co-workers on the following categories:
Disabilities
Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the Rehabilitation Act, treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because he or she has a disability. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm
Age
Age discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) less favorably because of his or her age. Harassment can include, for example, offensive remarks about a person’s age. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that aren’t very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/age.cfm
Pay
The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/equalcompensation.cfm
Genetic Information
Under Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), it is illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information. Genetic information includes information about an individual’s genetic tests and the genetic tests of an individual’s family members, as well as information about the manifestation of a disease or disorder in an individual’s family members (i.e. family medical history). Family medical history is included in the definition of genetic information because it is often used to determine whether someone has an increased risk of getting a disease, disorder, or condition in the future. Genetic information also includes an individual’s request for, or receipt of, genetic services, or the participation in clinical research that includes genetic services by the individual or a family member of the individual, and the genetic information of a fetus carried by an individual or by a pregnant woman who is a family member of the individual and the genetic information of any embryo legally held by the individual or family member using an assisted reproductive technology. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/genetic.cfm
National Origin
National origin discrimination involves treating people (applicants or employees) unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be of a certain ethnic background (even if they are not). The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate with respect to hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, based upon an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/nationalorigin.cfm
Race/Color
Race discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features). Color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color complexion. Race/color discrimination also can involve treating someone unfavorably because the person is married to (or associated with) a person of a certain race or color. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/race_color.cfm
Religion
Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/religion.cfm
Sex
Sex discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of that person’s sex. It is unlawful to harass a person because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm
Sexual Orientation
Discrimination against an individual because of gender identity, including transgender status, or because of sexual orientation is discrimination because of sex in violation of Title VII. Source: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm
Size/Obesity/Physical Appearance
Although no laws exist currently to protect this class, it is only a matter of time before state and federal laws are passed to protect this category.
Growing ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace is creating a need for sensitivity training programs. New laws protecting gay, transgender, and other physical traits are being passed at an alarming rate. Employers have an obligation to stay on top of these laws to ensure they are complying with state and federal law.
