Introduction Pg 1 Welcome to Diversity and Discrimination for Employees. To learn how to navigate this course, select the Next button now. Pg 2 The buttons at the bottom of your screen will help you navigate this course. Use the Back and Next buttons to go backward or forward through each lesson. As you go through the course, you will always find the Table of Contents in the drop-down menu along the top of the screen. Run your mouse over the list of lessons at the top of the screen and you will see these drop-down menus. Your first time through the course, you can look at the contents in these drop-down menus, but you will not be able to skip ahead. After you go through the course once, you can use the Table of Contents to skip around and review for the exam. Your progress through the course is tracked. If you must leave at any time, don't worry. You will be taken back to the same screen when you return. Pg 3 You can control each page's audio using the Play/Pause button at the bottom of the screen. The Audio On/Off button allows you to disable audio for the course. If you are taking the course in an area where you cannot hear the audio, you can download a printable audio transcript by selecting the Transcript button. 1 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 4 The Resources button appears when additional learning tools like printable documents or web links are provided. Select the Resources button at the bottom of the page now to visit J. J. Keller’s website. The site will open in a new browser window and will not interfere with your movement through this course. If the site does not open, you may have a pop-up blocker enabled. We’ll talk more about disabling pop-up blockers on the next slide. Simply close the new browser window to return to the course. Pg 5 If you had trouble opening the J. J. Keller link on the previous page, you may have a pop-up blocker. This course will not work correctly unless all browser-based and third-party pop-up blockers are disabled. Instructions for disabling pop-up blockers for Internet Explorer and Firefox are shown on the screen. You can also select the Resources button to download a PDF document with these and additional instructions. The document also contains instructions to help you adjust your screen text size. Pg 6 Parts of this course feature video. The Video Player controls are detailed in the image on the screen. Use the Play button to start or pause the video. You can move to any part of the video by selecting and dragging the Progress Indicator forward or backward along the Progress Bar. Use Rewind to go back to the beginning of the video. The Maximize/Minimize button allows you to make the video larger. Maximizing the video will allow it to fill the content screen. Select the button again to minimize the video so you can view the other screen content. 2 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 7 Check out the Course Highlights document for an overview of the interactive activities you'll find in this course. Download Course Highlights by selecting the Resources button on this page. Pg 8 When you select Next, you will begin the Pretest for this course. Your score will be reported to you, but will not be recorded. There are 15 questions in this pretest. Pg 10 This course will help you navigate the complexities of working in an increasingly diverse workforce. You’ll learn what diversity in the workplace means, and the benefits and challenges of having a diverse workforce. You’ll also learn how discrimination happens in the workplace, what circumstances can lead to a charge of discrimination and which classes of employees find protection under the law. Pg 11 When you hear the word “diversity,” you probably think about affirmative action policies and laws like the Civil Rights Act. You may recall high-profile news stories about lawsuits involving race or sex discrimination. You may also think that workplace diversity doesn’t apply to you. Only lawyers and human resource professionals need to deal with diversity issues, right? The truth is that diversity affects everyone in the workplace. Pg 12 Most people think of race and gender when they consider diversity issues, but the word “diversity” applies to much more than a person’s skin color or gender. Workplace diversity refers to all the characteristics, perspectives, abilities and experiences—both similarities and differences—that people bring to an organization. And that means that every workplace is a diverse workplace. 3 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 13 A diverse workforce can lead to intolerant attitudes, harassment and employment discrimination. Treating people unfairly based on race, religion, gender, ethnic or national origin, age, physical capabilities or any other attributes that make us different, is discrimination. Certain types of discrimination are prohibited by federal and state laws. These laws are intended to address workplace conflicts and ensure fair treatment and equality in employment practices. As a member of a diverse workplace, you have both rights and responsibilities for addressing conflicts and encouraging a workplace culture that embraces everyone’s experiences and perspectives. You and your co- workers deserve a work environment of tolerance and respect—a place where you all can be productive. Diversity in the Workplace Pg 2 Think about all the ways that you are both similar to and different from your co-workers. Some similarities and differences might be obvious, but many others may not be so visible. You can probably identify: Similar and different physical traits, or shared experiences and interests that you’ve learned about your co-workers from interacting with them. Pg 3 Some obvious similarities and differences may include race and ethnic heritage, age, gender; but they may also include less over things like social or economic class, cultural heritage, language, religious or spiritual beliefs, education, sexual orientation, skills, physical and mental abilities, public assistance status and even work styles. When you think about it, your workplace is a pretty diverse place, isn’t it? 4 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 5 Diversity, however, is not about categorizing all the people in an organization by a particular trait, such as skin color or gender; nor is not about singling out a particular characteristic to define each person in a workplace. You, and everyone you work with, have many characteristics that define who you are, it’s true, but it is this complex combination of different characteristics – and not necessarily the ones that you would think of or that are readily visible – that determines how you perform workplace tasks, approach problems and interact with others. And that’s why diversity is created by all of the characteristics that contribute to the ways in which each person thinks and acts in the workplace. Pg 6 Diversity builds the best, most talented workforce possible—one that mirrors the people we serve. That—along with preventing discrimination—is what accepting and valuing diversity is all about. 5 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 8 The great diversity that exists in today’s workforce presents advantages and opportunities for both employers and employees. A diverse workforce offers a variety of skills and perspectives for problem-solving and can open minds to new possibilities and experiences. When each individual contributes to the workplace, everyone’s morale and motivation are improved, which increases productivity. A new employee in your department may have a lot to learn about your company, but he or she could offer new ideas for dealing with a problem or handling the workload. Furthermore, one of your co-workers who speaks a language other than English may be better able to communicate with customers who also speak that language. For this reason, diverse organizations may also be able to serve and keep international customers. Multi-lingual departments (such as sales, marketing and customer service) may have more first-hand understanding of the needs of a larger market than those where only one language is spoken. Pg 9 Because the market is changing, success in today’s economy requires employees to think in different ways, and to adapt to a variety of new and changing conditions. Accordingly, workplaces that are becoming more diverse to address this change are the ones that will continue to thrive. Studies have shown that a diverse workplace: • Is more profitable, • Is more productive, • Has lower absenteeism and turnover, • Sees a decrease in complaints and litigation, and • Enjoys an improved public image. 6 Diversity and Discrimination for Employees J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® Copyright © 2012 Pg 10 A workplace that embraces diversity has a culture of inclusion. The Society for Human Resource Management defines inclusion as: "The extent to which each person in an organization feels welcomed, respected, supported and valued as a team member." Inclusion differs from acceptance because it is an active approach in which individuals welcome and interact with one another. Acceptance, on the other hand, is: "Passive acknowledgement and categorization of differences." By becoming more aware of diversity issues in your workplace, you can help to create a culture of inclusion that values every employee. Pg 13 Just as a diverse workplace can improve morale and create a business advantage, it can also present challenges and the potential for conflict.