Identify the Full Scope of the Discrimination
Intersectional discrimination is the discrimination of a person or classification of people because they are a member of two or more protected classes. Equal employment opportunity statutes prohibit this type of discrimination. Intersectional discrimination can involve more than one EEO statute, e.g., discrimination based on age and disability, or based on sex and age, or discrimination based on race and sex, etc.
So, as you consider what's going on around you at work, look at the bigger picture as to what is going on. If you are a Black woman, maybe the issues you are facing are not simply due to your race. Perhaps, you are also being targeted by a particular manager, for instance, because you are a woman. Try to determine if the person or people you are dealing with have patterns of targeting specific classifications of staff. Maybe they target Black workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers AND homosexual employees.
The point is, there may be a larger problem than you realize and there could be more federal statutes being violated than you realize. I worked for an employer that targeted Black women. We began to be targeted and labeled with the same stereotypes. Amazingly, our employer argued that they managed to hire Black women that--to a person--were angry, defensive, rude, couldn't take constructive criticism, were mean, "not nice," and "snooty." Within 2 months, 5 Black women--out of 10 Black female employees--resigned from the company. Every person left immediately before or immediately after our yearly performance reviews. I was the 6th Black female to leave.
Intersectional discrimination. Remember the term.
If you are targeted because of your race AND your age or your race AND your gender or your race AND your sexual orientation or your race AND a disability, you should argue the full scope of the discrimination you are being subjected to and you should hold your employer fully accountable/liable for the totality of their actions.
So, as you consider what's going on around you at work, look at the bigger picture as to what is going on. If you are a Black woman, maybe the issues you are facing are not simply due to your race. Perhaps, you are also being targeted by a particular manager, for instance, because you are a woman. Try to determine if the person or people you are dealing with have patterns of targeting specific classifications of staff. Maybe they target Black workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers AND homosexual employees.
The point is, there may be a larger problem than you realize and there could be more federal statutes being violated than you realize. I worked for an employer that targeted Black women. We began to be targeted and labeled with the same stereotypes. Amazingly, our employer argued that they managed to hire Black women that--to a person--were angry, defensive, rude, couldn't take constructive criticism, were mean, "not nice," and "snooty." Within 2 months, 5 Black women--out of 10 Black female employees--resigned from the company. Every person left immediately before or immediately after our yearly performance reviews. I was the 6th Black female to leave.
Intersectional discrimination. Remember the term.
If you are targeted because of your race AND your age or your race AND your gender or your race AND your sexual orientation or your race AND a disability, you should argue the full scope of the discrimination you are being subjected to and you should hold your employer fully accountable/liable for the totality of their actions.
posted by S. Mary Wills at 11:19 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home