Kiwi workers appear knowledgeable on how to deal with discrimination in the workplace according to a recent on-line survey conducted by recruitment specialists TMP Worldwide. However, many choose not to take any action.
Of the 750 New Zealanders surveyed, 41 per cent said they had witnessed incidents of discrimination in the
workplace and 49 per cent said they had not.
Of those who had personally experienced discrimination, fifty per cent said they had taken action by confronting the person concerned, referring the incident or filing a personal grievance.
However, those surveyed did not find it easy to take action, as 60 per cent of them believed that it might prejudice their future employment opportunities.
When discrimination had taken place, the person most likely be "guilty" was a superior (73 per cent). Ageism was the largest cause of perceived discrimination (14 per cent), with sexism a close second at 13 per cent.
A number of respondees indicated that they were made to feel bad for being working mothers.
The national director of Strategy TMP Worldwide eResourcing, Dr Kaye McAulay, says that the survey shows the major form of discrimination was perceived as systematic isolation - the "cold shoulder" treatment." However, on a positive note, 52 per cent of respondees stating that their organisation had an appointed person responsible for receiving discrimination complaints."
"Also, 64 per cent stated that there was a clearly defined process for them to follow if they wished to take action against someone who had discriminated against them.
