Human Resource Management and Discrimination of International Employees
As an immigrant, I’ve always found it fascinating to observe people how they react when I start talking. Some people bend down a little and they start talking very slowly and over articulating. Some people act normal and then the uneducated crowed who straight act like I’m an alien from a different planet. I do have an accent, but not even closed to be as thick as some people act like. When you have an accent, you also have to answer so many different questions. For example: are you legally here? Where are you from? How long have you been in the US? How did you get here? Where is your husband from? So many personal question and sometimes it feels like sort of an interrogation. Being an immigrant is not easy at all here in the US. “Despite the fact that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion, racial discrimination in the workplace is still very much alive” (Phuong, 2000). No matter how accomplished you are there is always a person who will remind you that you are an outsider and you are the reason why Americans don’t have a job. In this research paper I will talk about work place racism and the way immigrant are being treated because they are from another culture.
When it comes to national origin, Dias spells it out what is expected from the employers. “It is illegal to treat people unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of their accent, or because they appear to be of a particular descent (even if they are not). The law protecting employees based on national origin refers to all aspects of employment: hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, and fringe benefits. An employer can require an employee to speak English only if it is necessary to perform the job effectively. An English-only policy is allowed only if it is needed to ensure the safe or efficient operations of the employer’s business. An employer may not base an employment decision on a foreign accent, unless the accent seriously interferes with job performance” (Dias, 2011). I found this a great guideline when it comes to hiring anyone from a different national origin. The HRM department also needs to develop a diversity management plan what is tied to the diversity policy of the organization. This is important so companies can facilitate the employees needs and avoid any type of discrimination.
National origin discrimination or racism occurs when someone is being mistreated at the workplace because of his/her cultural background or he/she is married/ associated with someone who is from a different national origin. Even though, it is unlawful to discriminate anyone at the work place unfortunately many people are being harassed daily because of their accent, clothing and religion. Kressin’s study describes racism in three level: “Personally-mediated, institutionalized, and internalized. Personally-mediated racisms, occurs via differential assumptions about the abilities, motives, and intentions of others according to their race/ethnicity (prejudice) and through differential actions toward others according to their race/ethnicity (discrimination)” (Kressin, 2008). Institutionalized discrimination can be intentional and unintentional. The society as a whole put a stereotype on certain ethnic groups and some people make the mistake to behave according to that. Internalized discrimination is probably the most interesting of all. In this level people has racist attitude towards the same ethnic groups as they belong to and also feel self-hatred for themselves. These people might feel that they are being bullied at the work place because of their cultural background or their skin color and this is why they reject their own culture.
“The racial discrimination in hiring a new employee is obvious to see when many job applicants from various ethnic groups are competing for the same job. For example: "in a study of 100 large British companies, companies were more helpful and encouraging to a white candidate seeking employment information than to comparable Asian candidates" (Public Opinion Quarterly). Most job applications are put aside without having a chance to have an interview with employers because of their skin color or their origins” (Phuong, 2000). Some applicants also have the disadvantage of language barriers. “They silently accept whatever jobs are available to them without complaining because they do not know how to voice their opinions. More importantly, they do not know much about human rights and U.S. laws such as the Civil Rights Act that protects employees” (Phuong, 2000). This situation can be very "convenient" for the company because it can take advantage of these immigrants. It is also very challenging for them to receive promotions mainly because most of them do physical labor at factories or work at restaurant. Phuong’s article also talks about cases when companies have a “glass ceiling” above which minorities could not obtain high-paying positions.
Another conflict during the hiring process is the economical standing and the limited jobs of the area. Shih-Hsuen in his article of Race Discrimination in the Work Place points out that the competition is very tight when the unemployment rate is high and not many jobs are available. “There are clear indications of a societal tendency to lessen racial prejudice; racial competition tends to be exacerbated, however, during periods of slow or no economic growth. In places of limited employment opportunity and during recessionary periods, racial conflict over jobs is most intense” (Shih-Hsuen, 1998). The author also discusses that the racial competition for a job is more intense when it comes to low-wage jobs. Some of these jobs don’t require the employee to speak English nor to have any education. Even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Act promotes fair chances for all applicant, the decision is fairly simple. Employers more likely go with the candidate who is easier to communicate with and they don’t need a translator to train the person for the job.
After the hiring process, the new employee meets his/her new coworkers. If the applicant is lucky, his co-workers are open minded, he/she will settle in just fine. In this case, the employee is motivated and productive. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the new employee finds himself in a negative environment where the races are segregated and constant work place bullying is going on. This stress can cause very serious health effects. “In common day-to-day interactions, being treated unfairly because of one’s personal characteristics produces wide-ranging deleterious impacts on mental and physical health such as anxiety, psychological distress, various cardiovascular effects, poor self-reported health status, and low birth weight in infants of mothers experiencing discrimination” (Hammond, 2010). We have to keep it in mind that this can happen to anyone, not only immigrants. When a worker is experiencing workplace stress or bullying the productivity declines and can also lead to alcohol/drug etc. addiction. It is very unfortunate, because when the employee is suffering from workplace stress sooner or later this will affect his/her family's well-being as well.
The above-mentioned discrimination issues sometimes get reported, but most of the time it goes on unreported because employees are scared of the consequences. They are also unsure what is the upper management going to do or if they even do anything about it. These employees are also concerned about their safety after the harasser is removed from the job. When you are an immigrant, you are not aware of many things, like laws or options to get help. Even though, there are information available of employees’ rights and responsibilities, people still rather hide that they are being racially harassed then bring it to the management’s attention. “Racial harassment continues to be a concern within many workplaces in the USA. Incidents of racial harassment at work have increased by nearly 30 percent in the past decade and the number of harassment charges filed has more than doubled since the early 1990. The overwhelming majority (over 80 percent) of racial discrimination and harassment charges are filed by Blacks. Racial harassment is defined as threatening verbal conduct or exclusionary behavior that is directed towards an individual because of his or her race or ethnicity” (Chrobot-Mason, 2013).
Forstenlechner took a step further in the subject of racial discrimination at the work place. He added religion to the mix. In his article, he examined workplace discrimination in the context of immigrant employees and job seekers, with a specific focus on perceived discrimination resulting from affiliation with a specific religious group. In the United States, we supposed to have religious freedom. However, it plays out that you are only “free” if you don’t act on it. If you are an immigrant and you belong to a religious group, people start whispering that “they must be up to something”. I think the base of the problem comes from the locals are not understanding the language what the immigrant speaks. Also, most people are not familiar with the immigrant’s cultural background and traditions. Forstenlechner examined “a total of 40 Muslim immigrants in two host countries were interviewed regarding their perception of discrimination and the consequences for their workplace experience. For the analysis, responses were clustered to identify emerging themes using NVivo. Findings: Results indicate that Muslim immigrants encounter treatment at the workplace that they perceive as discriminatory” (Forstenlechner, 2010). I believe if companies provide accommodation to practice the basic religious needs, it can significantly improve the employee’s motivation and performance at work.
So, as we see, it is not easy to be an international employee in America. You have to face many challenges what average people don’t even think about. You have to work harder to show, that you are worth it and you have what it takes. Sometimes you have to pretend that you didn’t overhear a nasty comment from your co-workers. “White employees who do not view an event as racial harassment may question the reports of colleagues of color who do; they may view their colleagues of color as "overly-sensitive" and may even question their motives in attributing "a harmless event" to racism. In return, employees of color may view their White colleagues as being insensitive or even supporting racism by turning a "blind eye" to racial harassment” (Chrobot-Mason, 2013). As a conclusion, we have to be mindful regardless of the employee’s ethnicity or religion. It is not necessary to let anyone suffer or carry his/her race as a stigma. We can’t have a blind eye anymore and the constantly increasing number of racial harassment cases are the proof that something has to be done.
As an immigrant, I’ve always found it fascinating to observe people how they react when I start talking. Some people bend down a little and they start talking very slowly and over articulating. Some people act normal and then the uneducated crowed who straight act like I’m an alien from a different planet. I do have an accent, but not even closed to be as thick as some people act like. When you have an accent, you also have to answer so many different questions. For example: are you legally here? Where are you from? How long have you been in the US? How did you get here? Where is your husband from? So many personal question and sometimes it feels like sort of an interrogation. Being an immigrant is not easy at all here in the US. “Despite the fact that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion, racial discrimination in the workplace is still very much alive” (Phuong, 2000). No matter how accomplished you are there is always a person who will remind you that you are an outsider and you are the reason why Americans don’t have a job. In this research paper I will talk about work place racism and the way immigrant are being treated because they are from another culture.
When it comes to national origin, Dias spells it out what is expected from the employers. “It is illegal to treat people unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of their accent, or because they appear to be of a particular descent (even if they are not). The law protecting employees based on national origin refers to all aspects of employment: hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, and fringe benefits. An employer can require an employee to speak English only if it is necessary to perform the job effectively. An English-only policy is allowed only if it is needed to ensure the safe or efficient operations of the employer’s business. An employer may not base an employment decision on a foreign accent, unless the accent seriously interferes with job performance” (Dias, 2011). I found this a great guideline when it comes to hiring anyone from a different national origin. The HRM department also needs to develop a diversity management plan what is tied to the diversity policy of the organization. This is important so companies can facilitate the employees needs and avoid any type of discrimination.
National origin discrimination or racism occurs when someone is being mistreated at the workplace because of his/her cultural background or he/she is married/ associated with someone who is from a different national origin. Even though, it is unlawful to discriminate anyone at the work place unfortunately many people are being harassed daily because of their accent, clothing and religion. Kressin’s study describes racism in three level: “Personally-mediated, institutionalized, and internalized. Personally-mediated racisms, occurs via differential assumptions about the abilities, motives, and intentions of others according to their race/ethnicity (prejudice) and through differential actions toward others according to their race/ethnicity (discrimination)” (Kressin, 2008). Institutionalized discrimination can be intentional and unintentional. The society as a whole put a stereotype on certain ethnic groups and some people make the mistake to behave according to that. Internalized discrimination is probably the most interesting of all. In this level people has racist attitude towards the same ethnic groups as they belong to and also feel self-hatred for themselves. These people might feel that they are being bullied at the work place because of their cultural background or their skin color and this is why they reject their own culture.
“The racial discrimination in hiring a new employee is obvious to see when many job applicants from various ethnic groups are competing for the same job. For example: "in a study of 100 large British companies, companies were more helpful and encouraging to a white candidate seeking employment information than to comparable Asian candidates" (Public Opinion Quarterly). Most job applications are put aside without having a chance to have an interview with employers because of their skin color or their origins” (Phuong, 2000). Some applicants also have the disadvantage of language barriers. “They silently accept whatever jobs are available to them without complaining because they do not know how to voice their opinions. More importantly, they do not know much about human rights and U.S. laws such as the Civil Rights Act that protects employees” (Phuong, 2000). This situation can be very "convenient" for the company because it can take advantage of these immigrants. It is also very challenging for them to receive promotions mainly because most of them do physical labor at factories or work at restaurant. Phuong’s article also talks about cases when companies have a “glass ceiling” above which minorities could not obtain high-paying positions.
Another conflict during the hiring process is the economical standing and the limited jobs of the area. Shih-Hsuen in his article of Race Discrimination in the Work Place points out that the competition is very tight when the unemployment rate is high and not many jobs are available. “There are clear indications of a societal tendency to lessen racial prejudice; racial competition tends to be exacerbated, however, during periods of slow or no economic growth. In places of limited employment opportunity and during recessionary periods, racial conflict over jobs is most intense” (Shih-Hsuen, 1998). The author also discusses that the racial competition for a job is more intense when it comes to low-wage jobs. Some of these jobs don’t require the employee to speak English nor to have any education. Even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Act promotes fair chances for all applicant, the decision is fairly simple. Employers more likely go with the candidate who is easier to communicate with and they don’t need a translator to train the person for the job.
After the hiring process, the new employee meets his/her new coworkers. If the applicant is lucky, his co-workers are open minded, he/she will settle in just fine. In this case, the employee is motivated and productive. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the new employee finds himself in a negative environment where the races are segregated and constant work place bullying is going on. This stress can cause very serious health effects. “In common day-to-day interactions, being treated unfairly because of one’s personal characteristics produces wide-ranging deleterious impacts on mental and physical health such as anxiety, psychological distress, various cardiovascular effects, poor self-reported health status, and low birth weight in infants of mothers experiencing discrimination” (Hammond, 2010). We have to keep it in mind that this can happen to anyone, not only immigrants. When a worker is experiencing workplace stress or bullying the productivity declines and can also lead to alcohol/drug etc. addiction. It is very unfortunate, because when the employee is suffering from workplace stress sooner or later this will affect his/her family's well-being as well.
The above-mentioned discrimination issues sometimes get reported, but most of the time it goes on unreported because employees are scared of the consequences. They are also unsure what is the upper management going to do or if they even do anything about it. These employees are also concerned about their safety after the harasser is removed from the job. When you are an immigrant, you are not aware of many things, like laws or options to get help. Even though, there are information available of employees’ rights and responsibilities, people still rather hide that they are being racially harassed then bring it to the management’s attention. “Racial harassment continues to be a concern within many workplaces in the USA. Incidents of racial harassment at work have increased by nearly 30 percent in the past decade and the number of harassment charges filed has more than doubled since the early 1990. The overwhelming majority (over 80 percent) of racial discrimination and harassment charges are filed by Blacks. Racial harassment is defined as threatening verbal conduct or exclusionary behavior that is directed towards an individual because of his or her race or ethnicity” (Chrobot-Mason, 2013).
Forstenlechner took a step further in the subject of racial discrimination at the work place. He added religion to the mix. In his article, he examined workplace discrimination in the context of immigrant employees and job seekers, with a specific focus on perceived discrimination resulting from affiliation with a specific religious group. In the United States, we supposed to have religious freedom. However, it plays out that you are only “free” if you don’t act on it. If you are an immigrant and you belong to a religious group, people start whispering that “they must be up to something”. I think the base of the problem comes from the locals are not understanding the language what the immigrant speaks. Also, most people are not familiar with the immigrant’s cultural background and traditions. Forstenlechner examined “a total of 40 Muslim immigrants in two host countries were interviewed regarding their perception of discrimination and the consequences for their workplace experience. For the analysis, responses were clustered to identify emerging themes using NVivo. Findings: Results indicate that Muslim immigrants encounter treatment at the workplace that they perceive as discriminatory” (Forstenlechner, 2010). I believe if companies provide accommodation to practice the basic religious needs, it can significantly improve the employee’s motivation and performance at work.
So, as we see, it is not easy to be an international employee in America. You have to face many challenges what average people don’t even think about. You have to work harder to show, that you are worth it and you have what it takes. Sometimes you have to pretend that you didn’t overhear a nasty comment from your co-workers. “White employees who do not view an event as racial harassment may question the reports of colleagues of color who do; they may view their colleagues of color as "overly-sensitive" and may even question their motives in attributing "a harmless event" to racism. In return, employees of color may view their White colleagues as being insensitive or even supporting racism by turning a "blind eye" to racial harassment” (Chrobot-Mason, 2013). As a conclusion, we have to be mindful regardless of the employee’s ethnicity or religion. It is not necessary to let anyone suffer or carry his/her race as a stigma. We can’t have a blind eye anymore and the constantly increasing number of racial harassment cases are the proof that something has to be done.