Diversity

Diversity

Living in a country where it was founded by immigrants, diversity is everywhere you go especially in the workplace. There are many types of diversity; ethnicity, gender, religion and age just to name a few. Working in a diverse organization it can give you a taste of the real world, and what you will deal with wherever you go. There is so much diversity in the world today so it is a benefit to experience it in the workplace as well. You are given the chance to learn so many things from different cultures, why wouldn’t you want to work in a diverse organization?

Ethnicity

America is known as the land of the free where every immigrant wants to come to make a life for themselves and their family. An ethnically diverse workplace is very common due to equal rights and minorities are now given the same chance as white people. Since this country is made up of many diverse communities, it is impossible to walk down the street without seeing someone that has a different ethnicity than yourself. In the workplace it is very common to have co-workers that are of a different ethnic background than yourself as well. I believe that it is a huge benefit to work with people from a different ethnic background. I have been able to open my eyes and relate with people that are not white. I have learned many things about people with different ethnic background, such as their morals, work ethics, and personalities. Some people are still close minded about the idea of working with a person of a different race; I believe that is ridicules considering the amount of people of different races in America today. Sooner or later you will have to work with people of different races, so why not make it sooner? “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, originally passed in 1964, outlines the groups employers are prohibited from discriminating against. The law includes race, gender, age, national origin and disability status among the underrepresented classifications -- but it does not include sexual orientation” (Velez, 2004).

Sexual Orientation

Should people with different sexual orientation be added into the Civil Rights Act? In today’s society individuals that are either gay or lesbian are looked down upon. They are only allowed to get married legally in some states, and I know many people that are in some way or another scared of these people. Gay’s or lesbian’s are people too, and they should be treated just the same as any middle aged white male. In the workplace, there are many gay people but their co-workers may not know it yet. Once again I believe that working with a gay person can be a benefit to you. It can educate you on their lifestyle and the things that they have to deal with on an everyday basis. You should not look down upon or avoid a person with a different sexual orientation than yourself. They are still people and they should be treated just the same as anyone else, what’s the difference if they chose to be attracted to the same sex. Personally, I have not had the opportunity to work closely with a gay person. However, I do have friends that have chosen that lifestyle and I respect them the same and any other friend. “A study conducted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which polls Fortune 500 companies on their hiring and human-resource practices, reported a rise in companies that include sexual orientation as part of their anti-discrimination policies -- from 17 companies in 2002 to 59 in 2004” (Velez, 2004). This statistic shows that even thought the Civil Rights Act doesn’t include sexual orientation, some companies have made policies to include it and the numbers have risen greatly within those two years.

Age

Individuals are starting to worker very young in today’s society. This has its benefits. Young workers are given the opportunity to gain experience from their co-workers that have been working for 20 years or more. If an individual was to start working at a young age, then they can develop good work ethics right off the bat. While the mind is young, most often it acts like a sponge and soaks up any information that it comes in contact with. Young employees can learn so many things from more experienced workers, and it is great to be given a chance like that. Personally I started my first “real” job when I was 18 and I am still with the same company five years later. Throughout the past five years, I have gained more street smarts and work ethics than I could have ever imagined. My first boss was my mentor and he taught me all of the work ethic skills that I would need, to be successful in any field that I chose. I was taught to work hard and always complete tasks on time. With education being so important in the world today, most people don’t start their career