Chapter 3 Equal Opportunity in the Workplace

• What is Diversity? • Offices of Equal Opportunity

and Diversity

• Equal Opportunity Laws • Developing Cross-Cultural

Interaction

• Increase Personal Awareness • Managing Cultural Diversity in

the Workplace

• Establishing Inclusion Plans • Managing Diversity Issues

Positively 1

Culture: Our values, the way we speak, behave, think, dress, religious beliefs, the music we like, our interactions, and the food we eat.

Failure to

understand these diversities can result in tension, poor performance and morale, and higher rates of turnover.

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Primary dimensions of diversity distinguishes individuals and groups:

• Culture • Ethnic Group • Race • Religion • Language • Age • Gender • Physical Abilities • Sexual Orientation

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Secondary dimensions of diversity are things that can change:

• Occupation • Work Experience • Education • Income • Marital Status

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The United States is becoming more diverse by the day.

• By 2020 almost 1 in 3 Americans will have African, Asian, Latino, or Native American ancestry.

• Foodservice industries employ more Latino and African Americans than other industries.

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Offices of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (EO&D)

• Responsible for planning, developing,

implementing, and evaluating, a comprehensive corporate diversity program and company- wide, multi-faceted human relations and diversity initiatives.

• They provide effective leadership to ensure that diversity and equal opportunity are a thriving within the company.

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The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office provide:

• Education and training the public about equal opportunity

and diversity.

• Advocacy for diversity. • Support for companies’ initiatives toward equal opportunity

and diversity.

• Consultation on best strategies for Equal Opportunity and

Diversity recruitment.

• Conflict mediation and resolution. • Monitoring employers’ equity and affirmative action goals. • Reviewing compliance with state and federal regulations. • Processing and resolving complaints

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Equal Opportunity Laws

• Equal Pay Act of 1963 • Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII • Age Discrimination in Employment Act

of 1967

• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of

1978

• The Immigration Reform and Control

Act

• The Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA)

• The Family and Medical Leave Act of

1993

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Developing Cross Cultural Interaction Skills

1.

Increase personal awareness.

2. Recognize and practice

cross- cultural interaction skills.

3. Maintain awareness, knowledge, and skills.

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How to Increase Personal Awareness

• Be careful about being culture bound: believing

that your culture and value system are the best, the one and only.

• Learn various facts of other cultures • Take part in diversity or sensitivity training.

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Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

• Recognize, respect and capitalize

on the different backgrounds in our society in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. • Create a balance of respect and understanding in the workplace. • You AND your employees must be aware of the importance of respecting diversity when dealing with clients.

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Establish a Diversity and Inclusion Program

• Develop a mission statement that includes diversity and

inclusion.

• Develop goals for diversity and inclusion for each key

operating area.

• Develop objectives/strategies to show how the goals will be

met.

• Develop measurements to monitor progress towards the

goals.

• Monitor progress toward goal accomplishment

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Managing Diversity Issues Positively

• Listen to and get to

know your employees • Treat them equitably but not uniformly • Watch for signs of

harassment

• Foster a work climate

of mutual respect

• Encourage and

recognize diversity

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Gender Issues

• Make sure you do not

show favoritism. • Show the same

amount of respect for both genders.

• Know the companies sexual harassment policies, and take misconduct seriously.

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Cultural Issues

• Do not become culture bound (believe

that your culture is the best).

• Learn some of the language used by

your employees (how to address them, phrases commonly used, avoid slang).

• Give meaningful and culture

appropriate rewards.

• If employees have trouble with English speak clearly and slowly. Check to make sure they understand you.

• Avoid touching. • Be cautious about the interpretations

and use of gestures .

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Religious Issues

Be consistent in

allowing time off for religious reasons.

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Age Issues

• Treat both young and older employees with respect. Make them feel like part of the team.

• Younger workers want to have fun while

doing worthwhile work, listen to them and let them participate.

• Don’t have higher expectations of older

adults than their peers.

• Don’t patronize.

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Differently-Abled Issues

• Look at a differently abled employee

as a whole person with likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. and encourage co-workers to do so. • Speak directly to them. • They are good for the communities

and employers.

• They may not be the most

productive but they show up for work on time and they work great with the staff and customers. • Remember that the hospitality industry has responsibilities to provide job opportunities for all.

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