Discrimination in the Workplace
Workplace Discrimination the Biggest Hurdle for Older and Younger Canadians
October 17, 2006
A new international workplace survey has found that more than a third of Canadians believe they have been discriminated against when applying for jobs, with the older and younger age groups facing the greatest prejudice.
The survey found that 41% of respondents in Canada say they have experienced discrimination of some type when applying for a job in the last five years.
The Kelly Global Workforce Index sought the views of approximately 70,000 people in 28 countries including more than 10,000 in Canada.
The major sources of discrimination identified by respondents were age (15%), race (10%), gender (8%) and disability (1%).
However, levels of discrimination in Canada are low by global standards. Canada ranked 20th on the list of 28 countries. Sweden, Thailand and Singapore were the countries that recorded the highest rates of discrimination. The United States ranked 18th.
Approximately 9% of women and 6% of men reported gender discrimination when applying for work.
Almost 28% of workers aged 45 or older felt they had been discriminated against on the basis of their age. But 22% of younger workers aged up to 24 also believed they were victims of age discrimination.
Approximately 34% of those surveyed said they also experienced discrimination in their day-to-day working life.
The vast majority of those who say they have been discriminated against did nothing about it and most were unhappy with the outcome.
Karin French, Vice President and General Manager for Kelly Canada, said the figures highlight how discrimination is changing over time and age is the new epidemic.
“At a time when we face an ageing population and skills shortages, many organizations are putting obstacles in the way of hiring older employees.
“This can be devastating for individuals but it is also means many organisations are shutting off an important source of talent and diversity.
“Ageism has overtaken ethnicity and sexism in many areas as the greatest source of discrimination in employment.
“Organizations that don’t address these issues directly can do themselves considerable damage and can suffer costs both direct and indirect.
“They may suffer high staff turnover, absenteeism, poor morale, low productivity, poor reputation, and also the possibility of civil claims and penalties arising from breach of anti discrimination laws,” said French.
“It is critical that managers ensure that employees fully understand their rights, and that managers faced with workplace discrimination take immediate steps to remedy the situation.
“Employees will themselves be looking to see that instances of discrimination are handled decisively, sensitively and effectively,” said French.
The survey found that people with university qualifications reported higher rates of discrimination.
Some industries including utilities, travel/leisure and engineering also had rates of discrimination above the national average.
About Kelly Services
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Troy, Mich., offering staffing solutions that include temporary staffing services, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time placement. Kelly operates in 30 countries and territories. Kelly provides employment to more than 700,000 employees annually, with skills including office services, accounting, engineering, information technology, law, science, marketing, light industrial, education and health care. Revenue in 2005 was $5.3 billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com.
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