Alert: You can reduce the chances of being slapped with a gender discrimination lawsuit by encouraging the female members of your crew to tell you about ambiguous incidents of bias they might have suffered on the job.
So suggests the results of a recent study by Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Researchers there surveyed 600 female workers in the U.S. According to the results, working women are more likely to experience ambiguous incidents of bias. For instance, 74% of the respondents said they’ve endured an ambiguous incident that might have been gender discrimination while 64% said they’ve encountered obvious bias.
The researchers defined an ambiguous incident of gender discrimination as something that might or might not have been motivated by bias. Example: A woman passed over for a promotion in favor of a man might have suffered gender discrimination, or she might not have been the best candidate for the position.
The survey also revealed that women are likely to report obvious incidents of bias but are less likely to tell their supervisors about an ambiguous bias episode. Instead, they turn inward and ask whether there’s something wrong with themselves or their work.
Bottom line: You want female crew members to be comfortable reporting both obvious and ambiguous incidents of bias so they’re less likely to later sue for gender discrimination.
(From the Feb. 2, 2024, issue of HR Manager’s Legal Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)