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Human rights do not appear on the balance sheet of most corporations, or do they? The evidence would seem to indicate that a workplace environment respectful of human rights can make a significant difference to the bottom line. New immigration trends, increased professionalization, increased participation of women and minorities, corporate interdependence, enhanced worker mobility, flatter more flexible corporate structures and changing societal institutions and attitudes are some of the factors necessitating corporate leaders to embrace a more equitable orientation in every facet of operations. Research compiled by the Cultural Diversity Institute suggests that for a business to thrive in the new millennium, an emphasis on diversity and equity is essential. Evidence shows that businesses can increase revenue and decrease cost by adopting more equitable practices. Human rights training and awareness in the workplace can enhance productivity, thus should be a high priority of senior management and an integral component of corporate planning. Seventy five percent of Fortune 500 companies have programs that promote diversity. If workplace discrimination were eliminated income levels for all |
employees, not simply minorities may rise. A study at AT &T found that costs could be reduced by four percent by eliminating gender discrimination. Research also indicates that employee turnover, absenteeism and employee theft are either directly or indirectly related to issues of diversity and human rights. Several models for implementing a more equitable workplace exist. Elements common in most of the models include executive leadership, linkages to the corporate business plan, administrative support, participation of all employees and ongoing measurement. The factors that motivate corporations to change must be considered. Equity initiatives have to move beyond the human resources department, becoming an integral part of all corporate activity if they are to have a significant impact. The transition toward a diverse and equitable workplace is not a simple one, but by engaging senior management, and encouraging systemic, company wide change anchored in corporate business plans, the barriers which have kept corporations from adopting a human rights culture can be overcome. In the near future, the question corporations may be asking is not whether a human rights culture may be profitable, but whether they can be profitable without it. (reprinted with permission from Workplace Diversity Update: January 2001)
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Study indicates minorities suffer Good jobs and promotions elude many visible minorities and Aboriginal people, according to a new study prepared by researchers from the Canadian Council on Social Development. The study, Unequal Access: a Canadian Profile of Racial Differences in Education, Employment and Income, is based on focus group discussions held with visible minorities and Aboriginal people and on existing statistical data.
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"Our findings confirm the higher you go in the workplace, the whiter it becomes,’’says Dr. Jean Lock Kunz, senior research associate at CCSD. "Racial discrimination is still present in the workplace, mostly in covert forms. Diversity is generally seen at the bottom and middle level of the labor force pyramid." The study reveals that:
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