To dedicated animal owners their pets are more than possessions; they are important members of their family. After work these individuals rush home to be greeted by four paws and a friendly face.
What may only be an eight hour work day can seem like forever when worrying about Fido, whether the concern be his happiness and health or the damage he has done to the house or yard during the course of the day.
For a myriad of reason, many employers are beginning to see the benefits of allowing pets in the workplace, thus making the daily separation of loyal friends unnecessary.
Long used as a method of stress reduction for nursing home residents, the presence of loved pets in the workplace has a similar effect. Aside from the comfort of knowing that their pets are well, employees are encouraged to take "play" breaks throughout the day.
Although these may only last for five to fifteen minutes at a time, many workers find that the time away from the cubicle resets their mind. This often results in employees having a fresh perspective on a previously perplexing problem.
Without these breaks an employee might continue to puzzle of the same issue for several hours. Because of this, many companies have found that allowing pets in the workplace ensures that more actual work gets done. A survey done of pet-friendly businesses conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 73 percent of companies who participated said pets created a more productive work environment.
When paired with a better moral throughout the office, it's easy to see why many employers find it beneficial to allow pets in the workplace. Almost all of the businesses that took part in the survey, 96 percent, said that they saw an increase in positive work relations. After all, it's hard to be grouchy when a fuzzy face is peering upward with "love me" eyes.
With 58 percent of the workplace's surveyed saying that employees were more likely to stay late if animals were present, the benefits of allowing pets in the office is may be most obvious in companies that require longer hours than most.
Often job seekers rush home to feed or otherwise see to the need of their pets and are therefore unable to stay very late. Since, in these offices survey, the pets commuted with their owners these individuals are more likely to be free to devote time to seeing a project finished before the end of their day.
A lot of people don't know what the "glass ceiling" is, so first I will explain. For American entrepreneurs and / or hard-working people who are considered the minority in their area, it may be a difficult to almost impossible endeavor to reach the top. Even though workplace discrimination is illegal, it is still rampant. The "glass ceiling" simply refers to invisible barriers in which minorities are often confronted with. It's a big issue in regards to workplace diversity.
A minority in Webster's dictionary is defined as a "smaller number" (noun). Usually when it comes to diversity in the workplace, the minority includes women, or anyone having an African, Hispanic (Latino), or Asian background. The majority in America is considered to be white males. I personally believe it depends on the particular job or field one is attempting to become employed with, that will determine the status of being a minority or not. Although not mentioned or published (even reported as much, for that matter) is age discrimination.
So what can these unfortunate victims of workplace discrimination do to break through the "glass ceiling"? Well, first of all, be knowledgeable. Know what you are talking about back and front, side to side. Be intelligent and wise.
While wisdom and intelligence are often thought of as the same thing, they're actually not. Intelligence is more along the lines of education and storing up facts, while wisdom displays self-control and knowing what to do with these facts. Experience is a key factor. When one uses wisdom and intelligence together, even if they are a minority, there is virtually no stopping them.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gives the following advice:
Realize that you cannot be equal - you must be better than your competition for promotions. Although this sounds unfair, it is reality. If you are going to make a solid case for being promoted, it must be a clear case. Look to advance your career with a company that values workforce diversity and eliminating the glass ceiling.
Workplace diversity. Everyone is talking about it. You watch videos about the subject, take seminars and have meetings about the topic. The most common use of the term of diversity: refers to human qualities that are different from your own and those of groups to which an individual belongs; but that are manifested in other individuals and groups. Dimensions of diversity in the workplace include but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities / qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification."
What this definition is explaining ,is that the company does not discriminate against potential or current employees based upon their particular faction in life. This concept was implemented in the 1980's and has a some major effect on the workforce as a whole. The statistics compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are interesting to say the least. It is estimated in the United States, that by the year 2010, the Hispanic labor force is projected to be larger than the African-American labor force 13.3 percent verses 12.7 percent.
Asians will continue to be the fastest growing group in the labor force projected to increase by nearly 45 percent this decade. Women currently comprise nearly half of the labor force. The majority of workers entering the workforce this decade will be women, minorities and foreign nationals. Also included in some workplaces definitions of is a term called diversity of thought - which they say can be obtained by hiring individuals with different degrees, college affiliations, education or social economic backgrounds from their current employees. This is a fantastic notion giving an individual with a non - Ivy League education the same standing as someone who has graduated from an Ivy League institution.
The obvious upside of these rules are that people are looked upon as equals in the areas of promotions, raises, insurances and also in the realm of disciplinary action. The downside of over diversifying is hiring someone who is unqualified for the position, just because a particular quota or standard has to be met. This can cause a company to lose qualified employees, from having to compensate for the lack of knowledge of an unqualified employee via recruiting, and can even in the long term cause the company to lose revenue as well.
When introducing diversity in the workplace practices to the work environment, a common practice is to have employees and management attend seminars or view videos on the matter. Attending these seminars and watching these videos teaches employees and management the companies policies and procedures on workplace diversity. Upholding ethical diversity in the workplace practices are necessary for any company to succeeded and grow. However, a company must weigh whether or not an individual is an asset or a hindrance to the stability and growth of the institution regardless of race, religion, creed, sex or status.
Workplace diversity can be a daunting issue for human resource departments and hiring managers, especially in areas where the population itself is not diverse. There are several niche Web sites and publications focused on female and minority job candidates, however. These can help resolve the workplace diversity dilemma, as can college career fairs.
One minority recruitment publication, Diversity Inc., has an award-winning interactive site, with a Careers landing page offering much more than job posting and job search for candidates. Not only can an employer read the details of the OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) legislation but she or he can use the many online tools that assist with compliance.
What the DiversityInc.com Career site added in 2006 are opt in tools for employer accounts, and upgrades on the site’s candidate database search archiving capabilities. The latter include viewed resumes and search queries. The Career site has also increased its storage of applicant data and the job for which each applied, as well as online help documentation for advertisers.
Of the job candidates registered on the site 64 percent are female, 33 percent are African-American, 21 percent are Latino, 14 percent GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender), and 7 percent Asian-American. 33 percent already hold, or have held, managerial positions.
On the Diversity Inc. Career Site hiring managers can buy ads one at a time or in bulk, can highlight the job by upgrading to a featured job posting, and can access resumes or feature their firms. Diversity Inc. can set up job wrapping from the employer’s site, still with the option of altering copy. Employers can set up candidate alerts and folders, while reports document the success of their advertising campaign.
Niche sites dedicated to diversity and major job boards with a diversity search option such as Monster, Yahoo HotJobs and Careerbuilder aren’t the only methods by which an employer can maintain workplace diversity. Employers can take a proactive approach, as some do, by dedicating a staff member to the task of finding minority candidates. Another method that has been successful for employers in areas whose population lacks diversity is to network with colleges and universities in areas more diverse such as California, Texas and other Southwest states, attending career fairs at those schools and hiring minority college graduates.
We spoke to the diversity hiring manager of a mid-Atlantic area firm that told us she has partnered with, advertised on the Web sites of, and attended the career fairs of the University of Texas, El Paso, where she found Hispanic grads; Southernmost College in Brownsville; Rice University; and Texas Southern University, where the majority of students are African-American. Each school’s placement office keeps a packet of information on the mid-Atlantic firm, as well as information about each open position. A placement office counselor keeps this hiring manager advised by e-mail of students about to graduate who want to apply at her company.
This hiring manager said she generally finds five new employees or interns each semester from her university workplace diversity recruitment efforts.
Over the course of the last 25 years, the word "diversity" has become firmly entrenched in the global business lexicon. But what exactly is diversity and why is it so critical to corporate success?
Imagine a company where every employee shares not only the same physical characteristics, but also the same level of intelligence and emotional range. After awhile, the idea-well would start to run dry, making it nearly impossible for the company to compete in an evolving marketplace.
Conversely, a company with a diverse set of employees embraces differences in perceptions and opinions. Instead of dismissing, or even fearing alternate viewpoints, it chooses to explore and learn from them, thereby significantly expanding its market share.
So what exactly are these "alternate viewpoints"? Diversity goes beyond race and culture to encompass a range of individual traits including gender, sexual orientation, religion, personal beliefs, age, and even disabilities—both physical and mental (i.e. depression and anxiety).
The most obvious negative consequence for companies that lack a diversity policy is a discrimination lawsuit. Employers that are taken to court will need to allocate significant time, effort and money towards their case, not to mention time and resources from HR, IT, legal and other department managers.
Resolving a workplace discrimination issue can take months. This could be a period filled with anxiety and stress not only for executives and the plaintiff, but for all employees. Conflicts of this nature can also reduce morale and productivity; and the increased tension has the potential to trigger stress-related illnesses among those directly involved. Once the media gets wind of it, scandalous headlines will be hard to avoid, regardless of the outcome. This sort of brand damage can take years and millions of dollars in crisis public relations to reverse.
Companies that embrace diversity gain the confidence that comes with taking the moral high-road and generating goodwill. Beyond that, internal diversity reflects the real society outside, enabling a firm to truly identify with a range of people, not just one homogenous segment. In this respect, diversity is not only a source of opportunity, but also of many personal and business benefits. These include:
* Fostering good practices, which raise the company to the ranks of "Employer of Choice." * Enhancing brand and reputation (remember, it takes only one negative headline to tarnish these.) * Maintaining and strengthening your workforce, which bolsters recruitment and retention. * Increasing morale and productivity. * Reducing workplace conflict and the litigation costs that might arise in the opposite situation. * Fortifying the moral and ethical values of the organization.
Diversity experts maintain that companies can increase profits by up to 10 percent by implementing a diversity strategy at every level. A team that can get inside the minds of its customers and understand cultural differences offers a significant advantage over a competitor with a one-dimensional workforce.
Conversely, companies that do not value diversity sharply reduce their competitive edge by not fully understanding their future target market. A strong diversity strategy creates and maintains a specialized workforce that can recognize, attract, and retain the clients of tomorrow.
