The technology sector is a growing area of employment in North Carolina and throughout the nation. Given the education and skills needed to work in tech and to advance, it might be surprising that the industry has been prone to allegations of workplace violations, often against women and minorities.
From discrimination to wage gaps to harassment and abuse, women have been the frequent targets of this level of wrongdoing. A recent study looked specifically at the tech industry and found that women of color are most commonly victimized. If this is happening, it is necessary to understand the law and the options available to put a stop to it.
Workplace experiences were problematic for Asian and Asian-American females
The study analyzed experiences of women in the tech industry. Such issues like how bias happened, who it affected and what it entailed were part of the research. More than 200 women in tech took part in surveys and interviews regarding this issue.
Various ethnic groups dealt with different types of bias. Women of color faced it more frequently than white women. Asian and Asian-American females related what they were confronted with and researchers found it to be among the worst of all groups.
Even stereotypes that could be categorized as moderately positive such as Asians having a better aptitude for science were not beneficial. Women from East and South Asia needed to work extra hours to show they were worthy of similarly positive perceptions as other colleagues received. East Asians were passed over for promotions and were expected to be subservient.
Compared to white women, there were two-thirds less of a chance that they believed their future at the current workplace was set up for the long-term. They had a 42% greater chance of being treated poorly and ignored. Southeast Asians and those of Southeast Asian descent had a 54% higher frequency of reporting having been assigned work that was beneath their skills.
Employment discrimination should not be tolerated
Dealing with employment discrimination at any time, whether it is during the interview process, when negotiating salary, benefits, promotions and assignments should not happen to anyone. When it extends into outright harassment due to age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or for any other reason, it can negatively impact a person’s entire life and career.
When this type of mistreatment and illegality occurs, it is important to act. Seeking advice from professionals who are skilled in this area of the law might help.