If someone experiences discrimination in the workforce due to their race, the first course of action is normally to file a report with the Human Resources department. Additionally, they can file a report with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to hold your company accountable for their actions.
Many people cannot fathom how race discrimination can still exist in workplaces in the land of the free. Many people are unaware that skin color still influences employers to pay employees less or punish employees unfairly. Unfortunately, glaring statistics exist to show that this type of discrimination is still a problem in American workplaces.
African American women experience the most discrimination
According to a study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, African Americans and women in the workplace experience more discrimination than Caucasians and men, respectively. This puts African American women in a unique position to experience the most discrimination based on their race and gender. While women of all races experience gender-based discrimination, African American women experience 10 times more than their white counterparts.
Discrimination cases appear to largely go ignored
An article on Vox.com shows that individuals filing complaints with the EECO rarely receive the help they need. According to the article, the EECO ends over 100,000 every year. In most of these cases, the agency does not determine if discrimination has actually occurred before they close the case. Unfortunately, a paltry 18% of those cases actually result in some form of action, such as a change in work conditions or compensation. In many cases, those who file complaints simply get tired of waiting for help and give up entirely.
