Almost
one in four workers claim to have been a victim of discrimination, bullying or
harassment.
Research
commissioned by The Guardian and TMP Worldwide and carried out by MORI, reveals
the views of the nation’s workforce towards discrimination and diversity.
Only
two in five workers (42 per cent) think employers are harnessing the potential
of the UK’s diverse population, and one in three, about 9 million people, say
discrimination is at large in their organisation.
Waqar
Azmi, UK national head of equality and diversity for TMP Worldwide, said:
"Over the next decade, employers will be faced with a new set of
challenges resulting from demographic changes and an increase in labour and
skill mobility. This will force employers to take into account all the
different groups within the population to ensure they attract and retain the
best skills for their business."
"The
findings of this research emphasise the concerns of today’s workforce. Only
once these concerns have been addressed, will we see a long-term knock-on
effect on business productivity and, eventually, on the UK economy."
The
survey of more than 1,500 people reveals that of all those who had been
discriminated against, age discrimination came out as the biggest factor, with
37 per cent identifying this as an issue. Â
Thirty-two
per cent of disabled respondents felt that managers ignored equal opportunity
policies.
One
in five black adults say they have been discriminated against in some way at
work, as do 16 per cent of all ethnic minority respondents. A higher percentage
of black respondents felt that discrimination existed in the workplace, 62 per
cent, compared to 31 per cent of white respondents.
The
survey shows that women are generally more satisfied and optimistic about
working life than men.
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men think discrimination exists in the workplace (36 per cent), compared to 29
per cent of women.
