The Most Common Types of Workplace Discrimination
Published April 21, 2023
Workplace discrimination is more common than most people think. The only reason why you may not recognize it immediately is that it can come in different forms that you probably aren’t familiar with.
That’s why understanding the different types of discrimination in the workplace can go a long way in helping you identify the signs before it gets too late. With that in mind, in this blog post, we’ll take a look at the most common types of workplace discrimination, some examples for each type, and many more.
But first, what exactly is workplace discrimination?
What Is Workplace Discrimination?
Workplace discrimination can be defined as the unfair treatment at work based on a person’s inherent characteristics. The keyword here is “unfair” since, in some instances, a specific employee may receive treatment different from the regular treatment of other employees, and it can be completely warranted.
For instance, if an employee only possesses one skill set relevant to the job while their colleagues have more than two, a lower salary may not be due to discrimination but simply due to their lack of qualification.
In this case, while the treatment is different, it’s far from being unfair and, therefore, should not be seen as workplace discrimination. Similarly, if a particular employee is performing spectacularly, it wouldn’t be discrimination or even ethically improper if they’re often commended while other employees are ignored.
It’s important to make a distinction between these things since, just like how people may not recognize discrimination immediately, certain individuals may assume something is discrimination when it’s not.
That’s where understanding the different types of discrimination in the workplace can come in handy.
5 Types of Workplace Discrimination
Among the many forms that workplace discrimination may take, there are five particularly common ones, and these are:
- Racial discrimination
- Age discrimination
- Sex/gender discrimination
- Disability discrimination
- Religious discrimination
They mean exactly as their name suggests. They occur when an employer or fellow employees treat someone differently due to their age, sex/gender, race, disability, or religious and spiritual beliefs.
Though that’s the basic idea, the ways people would execute or display these types of workplace discrimination may vary from type to type.
A Closer Look at the Types of Workplace Discrimination
Racial/Sex/Disability Discrimination
These three types of workplace discrimination are the most basic forms of workplace discrimination.
These types of discrimination can take place in similar ways.
For example, if two employees are up for a promotion, and only one can get it, it’s discrimination whenever the decision is made arbitrarily based solely on their race, disability, or sexual orientation.
Of course, it can be difficult to determine whether it’s truly discrimination if it was just a one-time incident, but it does pose the possibility, and if a similar situation occurs again, that possibility increases.
Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is likewise a relatively basic type of workplace discrimination, though it can be difficult to identify. The prime example of age discrimination is whenever two equally qualified individuals are subject to hiring, only for the younger one to get hired without further vetting or testing for qualifications.
The reason why it can be difficult to identify is that oftentimes, it’s not discrimination but rather a logical decision. After all, older individuals tend to have higher upkeep overall due to higher insurance costs.
So, if the two individuals are equally qualified anyway, nothing is stopping an employer from choosing the more logical and less expensive option. In fact, certain companies where discrimination isn’t exactly practiced may prefer hiring younger individuals if they want to build long-term business relationships.
However, one clear example of age discrimination is when a person older than 40 or 50 years old gets turned down for promotion even if they are fully qualified for the job and that particular job is vacant.
Religious Discrimination
Religious discrimination may take place in similar ways as the previous types of workplace discrimination.
However, a unique example of it is when an employer or a manager is cultivating a workplace that promotes a specific religion. In doing so, they may put those with a different religion on the spot.
Regardless of the intention, it can be detrimental to those whose religion doesn’t align with the religion being promoted. During religious events, for example, those with different beliefs might be isolated.
Other Types of Workplace Discrimination
Though we did only include five in the aforementioned list, keep in mind that there are far more types of discrimination in the workplace, albeit a bit less common. One example is civil status discrimination, wherein certain employers dislike divorced individuals and express their hate through unfair treatment.
Needless to say, just because you’re unable to identify any of the five previously mentioned types of workplace discrimination doesn’t mean your workplace is completely free of discrimination.
Wrapping Up
The possibility of discrimination occurring among colleagues is one of the main reasons why creating an ideal workplace environment can be challenging; though it may not be possible to completely eliminate the possibility of this issue, you can at the very least make sure you’re always on top of these issues so when they do appear, you can immediately resolve them in the best way possible.
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About The Author
Lenard Arceo is an experienced writer who enjoys learning to coding as a hobby. He has spent many years blogging about a vast array of topics and has helped many reputable websites grow their audience over the years.
