Stop Workplace Discrimination | Teen Ink

Stop Workplace Discrimination

February 16, 2015
By mhoeppner22 BRONZE, Harland, Wisconsin
mhoeppner22 BRONZE, Harland, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

There is a situation in America that affects thousands of lives each day. This is discrimination in the workplace. Its been happening for many years and it needs to stop now.  Some would say everybody should have the same chance for a job and not discriminate and judge on work ethic, others would say some people aren’t able to do as much do to age or disability. I think its unfair, most bosses judge on who they are or the way they look and not how they work. Many lives are made harder by getting fired, lowered pay, demotion, etc just because of their backround of their identity like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. Its just a terrible thing in society. Its unfair to hard working people, also identity doesn’t show work ethic, and its illegal to the US Equal Employment opportunity Commission.


Thousands of jobs are at stake each day. When someone young applies for a job then the loyal 48 year old worker who has been working there for 20 years gets fired. Its unfair to hard working people looking to help their family. Too many people are judged on their date of birth or identity and not how they work or capabilities. A current situation of workplace discrimination is happening at the dine-in restaurant “Ruby Tuesdays” according to the website www.newser.com. This website is credible because it is used by thousands giving politics, health, economy, etc. According to the website, Ruby Tuesdays in Eugene, Oregon was filed in a lawsuit for discrimination against hiring men waiters. The EEOC is not also used to lawsuits against men workers. Ruby Tuesday was only hiring women waiters for desired roles in spring and summer.  The main purpose was for the waiters to be sexually appealing to the male clients (customers) so they come back. The whole point of a restaurant is to eat food not to stare at an attractive waiter. As long as you get good customer service you shouldn’t need to worry about the waiters identity. It's truly an unfair thing to judge on appearance and not service.


Many companies look to have “good-looking people” or one type of identity like being white or a man, and its not fair. Identity or age don’t show work ethic. According to the website www.bls.gov about 3,145,000 people lost pay at work due to age in 2014 in the United States. This source is reliable because its made by the government which keeps track of nearly everything including job enrollment and pay. Those 3 million people now are tossed a harder task to support their family with a lower pay at work. Its tragic on the reality of what people think of hard-working people. Another story of discrimination is from a woman named Kimya.  According to www.hrc.org “Kimya has a master’s degree in social work and nearly two decades of experience in the field. She was the manager of a unit of a long-term care facility for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia. She enjoyed her job, and was good at it, but suffered through nearly a year of threatening messages, vandalism to her car and slurs uttered in the halls. In 2003, she was fired, her supervisors telling her, "This would not be happening if you were not a lesbian." The way she lives shouldn’t be a problem at her work area because what matters is that shes a hard worker.


Lastly, these situations are unfair to people looking to help their families, This is why it’s banned from the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commision). From the website “www.eeoc.gov” Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin also the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination”. This is a source made by lawmakers from the government telling laws of workplace discrimination and the rights of working human beings. Since this is banned lawsuits can filed and justice can actually come from these acts.


These discriminatory acts are very unnecessary and unfair to society. Many lives are made more challenging each day because they get laid off, lowered pay, etc. These situations need to stop at the workplace. Families are trying to be raised but with these hassles in their lives, its a challenge. What if this happened to you because you’re black, or gay, or a woman, etc would you appreciate it? Hard working people do what they can offer, they can’t change who they are or how they were born. Lets have these hard working people stand up for their rights and who they are, they should stand up for their hard work and shut down these discriminating companies and bosses.


The author's comments:

A lot of people are being judged these days and it should stop. The worst thing is, that these people are adults acting like 5th grade bullies. People should have their rights to work where they want to help their family. Thats why I wrote this article, to send a message to stop this unfairness 


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