Almost 25% of staff in the UK claim to have been a victim
of discrimination, bullying or harassment at work, research
commissioned by the Guardian and online recruitment company TMP
Worldwide has revealed.
Only 42% of workers thought employers were harnessing the full
potential of the UK's diverse population, and 33%, about nine
million people, said discrimination occurred in their
organisations.
Waqar Azmi, UK national head of equality and diversity for TMP
Worldwide, said, "Over the next decade employers will be faced with
a new set of challenges resulting from demographic changes and an
increase in labour and skill mobility.
"This will force employers to take into account all the different
groups within the UKpopulation to ensure they attract and retain
the best skills for their business."
He added, "The findings of this research emphasise the concerns of
today's workforce. Only once these concerns have been addressed
will we see a long-term knock-on effect on business productivity
and, eventually, on the UK economy."
The survey, carried out by market research organisation Mori,
questioned more than 1,800 people. It revealed that of all those
who had been discriminated against, ageism was the most common form
of discrimination, with 37% identifying this as a problem.
Thirty two per cent of disabled respondents said they felt that
managers ignored equal opportunity policies.
Twenty per cent of black adults said they had been discriminated
against in some way at work, as did 16% of all ethnic minority
respondents.
A higher percentage of black respondents felt that discrimination
existed in the workplace, 62%, compared with 31% of white
respondents.
The survey showed that women were generally more satisfied and
optimistic about working life than men. More men thought
discrimination existed in the workplace, 36%, compared with 29% of
women.