According to this article from the New York Times, Muslim employees are experiencing discrimination in the workplace in record numbers. The article goes on to detail the specific experiences of a few Muslim Americans, who are suing such major companies as Disney and Abercrombie for religious discrimination. Some of these employees have been mocked by co-workers, told they can not wear a hijab in public settings, or even not hired based on their religious apparel.
I was surprised that these types of incidences have continued to rise, even in the decade since 9/11. The experiences of those interviewed for this piece are blatant examples of prejudice, but it made me wonder about more subtle discrimination in business. How does our language, tone, policy affect others? I wished that this article had addressed the subtleties of interpersonal communication a bit more.
Also, it's important to note the huge impact that the behavior of some individual employees has had on these multinational corporations. Their public image is certainly tarnished by these lawsuits, and the implication that these companies are culturally insensitive. Is this fair? Should only the individual employees be held responsible, or is it reasonable to blame the companies since their policies, practices, or disciplinary actions did not fix the situation?
This topic seems like it has potential for the group research report and recommendation. It may be considered an issue of social responsibility since it is about how people are treated, and how corporations must address these problems internally and publicly. Maybe something about training programs, diversity policies, disciplinary actions? Perhaps something to explore in the policies here at OSU, or another Oregon business?
(Liz's sample post. Feel free to look into this issue further!)
