Guest pen|In a diverse and multicultural work community, the importance of employee orientation is emphasized.
Diversity, social justice and inclusion, i.e. so-called dei (diversity, equity and inclusion) means fair treatment and full inclusion of groups of people who are underrepresented or discriminated against due to their identity or disability in the workplace.
Diversity is defined on the basis of age, origin, citizenship, language, religion, belief, opinion, political activity, trade union activity, family relationships, health status, disability and sexual orientation. According to the Equality Act, people may not be placed in an unequal position as employees or customers on these grounds, nor may they be subjected to harassment or other inappropriate treatment. The Equality Act prohibits discrimination and harassment related to gender, parenting and family maintenance obligations, as well as gender identity and gender expression.
In the work community, dimensions of diversity also include employees’ different education, experience, skills, way of working, personality and values.
Already the Employment Contracts Act employers must treat employees equally. The Equality Act and the Equality Act also oblige the employer to actively promote equality and equality and to prevent discrimination. If the employer regularly employs at least 30 employees, the workplace must have plans for measures that promote equality and equality.
Plans do not fulfill their purpose if they lack a situational picture and concreteness. Plans should also not be drawn up only for the authorities. Success in promoting diversity requires an understanding of the organization’s equality and equality situation. Recognizing grievances is important in order to know how to take the right actions to correct them. Feedback systems, personnel surveys, statistics and reports can be used in the evaluation.
Still in several workplaces, Finnish practices and the different characteristics of the cultures represented by the employees have to be reconciled. Can an employee hold moments of prayer in the middle of the working day and should he be assigned a quiet place? How can and should an employee’s culture-based clothing be taken into account in work attire? Are there any features in the language of the workplace or in the humor of the work community that can be interpreted as racist and sexist, which need to be addressed. Does the workplace have to have separate men’s and women’s toilets or should they be non-gendered? If not all employees know Finnish, which language is used to communicate in different situations? What should be taken into account if there are people in the work community from countries that are at war with each other?
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How can an employee’s culture be reflected in work clothes?
Diversity and major changes in the workplace cause concern and a variety of emotions, especially if the changes are perceived as a threat to one’s position. However, responsible work behavior must be expected from everyone. In a diverse and multicultural work community, the importance of employee orientation is also emphasized. Management, and especially supervisors, must take into account the special needs of an employee at risk of discrimination.
Involvement the experience is strongly related to membership in a community where the individual can feel accepted and heard. Equitable, equal and equal treatment in the workplace does not mean that everyone is treated the same. However, there must be a justified, acceptable reason for treatment that deviates from the general operating method.
Taking diversity into account increases the well-being of the workplace, but it is also a success factor for the organization. Effective equality and equality measures strengthen a positive employer image and protect against damage to reputation, such as legal proceedings and media and social media scandals.
Päivi Rauramo is a leading expert at the Center for Occupational Safety.
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