Experts Say Many Bases of Discrimination Can Lead to Harassment

Discrimination is the biggest challenge to the growth of diversity in society, and an EEOC press release said that in a recent public meeting, a panel of experts told the the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Select Task Force, many bases of discrimination can lead to harassment.

The bases of workplace harassment extend beyond sex and race to include age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity, a panel of experts told the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace (STF) in a public meeting held yesterday. A second panel told the STF how the creative use of social media can spread an anti-harassment message, especially among millennials, or give a platform for workers to bring complaints to public attention, the press release said.

Here is a definition of harassment, according to the EEOC:

Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA). Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. - Read more at: 

For employers, here is an article worth reading, How to Handle Discrimination and Harassment Complaints. According to the article, some basic rules for employers to follow in cases of complaints of discrimination or harassment are as follows:

Keep an open mind;

Treat the complainer with respect and compassion;

Don't shoot the messenger;

Don't retaliate; and

Follow established procedures, among others.

- Read more at:

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