If an employee believes that he or she is the target of racial discrimination in the workplace, a human resources coordinator may be the first person that he or she reaches out to. However, a recent study published by MarketWatch indicates that the individual receiving the complaint may perceive it differently based on their own race.
The viability of racial discrimination, rude comments and other slights in the workplace is a topic that divides white human resource professionals and their Black counterparts. In the study, 49% of Black HR professionals believe that racial discrimination exists in their workplace, a view that is only shared by 13% of white individuals in the same field. The acknowledgement of race-based rude comments and other slights isn’t quite as divisive as 61% of Black HR professionals believe it’s a problem while 44% of white professionals feel the same way.
The presence of a racial divide isn’t limited to those in positions of power. The employees that they manage are just as divided. In the study, 35% of Black employees said that they recognize racial inequality at their job while only 7% of white workers said the same thing.
The only facet of racial discrimination in the workplace that both races were able to agree on was their own discomfort with dealing with such matters in the workplace. Approximately 37% of employees in both races acknowledged that they were uncomfortable even discussing matters of race in their place of employment.
An employee who believes he or she has been the target of racial discrimination in the workplace may want to contact a workplace discrimination attorney, especially if their company’s human resource department does not respond accordingly. The attorney may review the details of their claim, investigate similar claims of other employees and help build a plan of action to try to get justice for their client.