EEO Discrimation & Job Performance
- An employee's ability to excel in a position begins with adequate training. Even if your employee has decades of experiences, she needs training in the specifics of your business. Discomfort with an employee's minority status can not only impact your willingness to interact with and therefore fully train her, but it can keep her from asking for help or asking questions. Over time, this tension can prevent you from effectively supervising her as you either avoid each other or are too harsh in your feedback. Even if you are not uncomfortable with your employee, institutionalized prejudice, such as historical relegation of women to assistant status, can prevent an employee from seeking your help and guidance.
- Discrimination-caused stress in the workplace can have physical consequences that negatively impact job performance. Stress causes illnesses like high blood pressure and migraines that lead to missed workdays and increased health insurance premiums. Prolonged discrimination can also cause anxiety, lowered self-esteem and lack of morale all of which lead to decreased productivity. For example, an employee who is depressed and anxious, because he doesn't feel like his ideas are listened to will likely stop trying to contribute. Similarly, an employee who feels he is being judged unfairly may stop worrying about the quality of his work.
- Communication is one of the first things to suffer in discriminatory workplaces. Majority employees and supervisors may avoid the minority employee out of discomfort, if not actual prejudice, which leaves the employee to guess about expectations and instructions. The employee may also begin to avoid interactions because she feels uncomfortable. If the minority employee withdraws, she is likely to be viewed as "lazy" or "stand-offish" which alienates her further. This type of office tension not only reduces the employee's ability to find out what's needed and meet her potential, but ignoring a potentially valuable team member makes it harder for everyone to complete projects.
- Growth and development are integral to career advancement, and an employee who feels that she is supported will work hard and contribute as much as possible to the company. However, a woman whose superiors are all men, or an African American who answers only to whites, may feel hopeless and stop trying. Additionally, minority employees are sometimes excluded from educational and training opportunities that would increase productivity. Think of classes scheduled on Jewish holidays, for example, or meetings so full of sexual innuendo that new employees feel uncomfortable enough to avoid them.
