Discrimination in the workplace

Last night, my group in Ethics class reported about discrimination in the workplace. My groupmates and I started with a game called "test of discrimination." We showed some pictures of different people and asked our classmates to answer (by raising a paper with a YES or NO sign) if they were going to hire the people shown in the slides for various positions in their companies. It's quite a surprise to see how we subtly discriminate others based on looks. Then we proceeded to a short "interview" about discrimination experiences--either you discriminated someone or somebody discriminated you. After that, we played a short video about anti-discrimination showing that we are all equal, and that we should treat everyone equally.

As we set the mood for discussion, I saw some interest building up among our audience. It was a good sight, I thought. At least, we somehow captured their attention.

Then we went through the important terms related to discrimination, such as glass ceiling, workplace harassment, and sexual harassment. We also discussed how people discriminated others according to their religion, ethnicity, race, sex, age, and disability. We also talked about some forms of discrimination: isolated, institutional, intentional, and unintentional.

In the workplace, discrimination is rampant. Some people may experience this in recruitment, screening, or promotion stage. Unknowingly, some people may get fired not because of their inefficiency at work, but because some superiors--or even co-workers--simply don't like them! We, too, realized that employees hesitate to report these illegal acts or policies, including harassment, because of fear. Fear of losing their jobs, of being embarrassed, of disrupting the workplace, and so on.

We came to understand that it is very difficult to integrate utility, rights, justice and care in operating the company and managing people, but it is not impossible. To minimize these incidents and lawsuits, the company and its key officers must know and understand the laws which prohibit discrimination at work. And we did share that with the class last night. Our facilitator, Dr. Perla, commended our thorough research on the Philippine laws related to our topic. I remember that it was I who suggested to the class that every time we present a case or do group report, we should site Philippine-based cases and practical applications.

To give emphasis on our report, we did a short skit after going through the theories. We sited G.R. No. 118978 of May 23, 1997 (PHILIPPINE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMPANY, petitioner, vs. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION and GRACE DE GUZMAN, respondents) as our case study. It was actually fun to see your groupmates acting. Well, it's never too late to change a career!

My role was to make a conclusion and recommendation. Here's a snippet of what I shared in class.

Discrimination is a wrongful act. Consciously or unconsciously, people in the workplace tend to discriminate others according to their religion, ethnicity, race, sex, age, and disability.

As entrepreneurs, employers, or superiors, we should always ethically exercise careful judgment or make sound business decisions. It is important that decision makers should treat their stakeholders—officers, employees, suppliers, clients, creditors, etc.—with respect and dignity. As decision makers, we should weigh our options well, make legal, moral, regular, and humanistic corporate policies, and implement those policies that will best improve the life of the business entity and best serve its stakeholders.

Oftentimes, even though management has challenging situations to face and decisions to make that might entail high costs to the company, it must always reexamine and refine its company guidelines and policies to ensure that the company will not face a greater consequence more than it could possibly bear. It must not only think of what the employees can do for the company, but also what the company can do for its employees. Discrimination—intentional or unintentional—must never be part of our culture.

As subordinates or individuals, we should honor our officemates or colleagues no matter what or who they are. We should regard people and uphold their interests above ours without compromising our values and integrity. That is why it is important to build our values system, and try to do unto others what we want others do unto us.

Our choices determine our character. We must learn to fight for what is good, what is right, and what is just. And if we are a victim of discrimination—no matter how we are being treated and how our cases are served—let us remember that everything has a consequence. People (or companies) who discriminated us will someday face the consequences of such actions. We MUST care for what's happening around us.

It is comforting to know that government continues to look after the welfare of its people and protect its citizens against discrimination. Though there are still deficiencies in the implementation of the laws to protect us from discrimination, we can see that our government is making efforts to minimize if not totally eradicate all forms of discrimination. We suggest that the legislators must amend the law by increasing the penalties to be imposed on the perpetrator.

Our Commission on Human Rights must be more aggressive in its advocacy to protecting people from job discrimination to ensure the protection and promotion of workers’ human rights. Also, other government agencies such as Dept. of Labor and Employment, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Commission on Women, and other Non-government organization must exercise properly their duties to monitor and ascertain the implementation of the laws.

To my groupmates Belle, Stell, Ken, Stan, and Wally. I had fun working with you. :) To my teachers, the Hudtohans, I was really glad that you didn't ask questions or make unnecessary comments. We presumed that you liked our presentation. It's just that I was made to confess my political ambition to the class just to save my group from the question "What can we do to make a difference in this country?" I guess they were satisfied when I answered "I will run for Congress." :)

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