Report: Opportunity and diversity at work - Essay Example

These changes are extremely important, as they are likely to lead to "greater workforce diversity as older workers, women, ethnic minorities and younger workers all play integral roles in the workforce", and as a result the HR managers will have to "tailor workplace policies to fit the needs of the increasingly diverse workforce by offering flextime, sabbaticals, technology training, cultural training, and child care or elder care assistance on a much greater level than now offered". (Meisinger, S. 2005) Apart from that, the differences between different groups of employees (i.e. young and middle-aged workers, men and women etc.) have an impact on worker satisfaction and motivation, and as a result their productivity and loyalty to the company.

To my mind, equal opportunities and managing diversity could be viewed in both ways - as different paradigms, as well as interconnected issues. Of course, it is hardly possible to divide the two concepts - that of equal opportunities and managing diversity - because as the society (and consequently, the working teams) become multinational, it is crucial to pay attention to implementing the management methods and theories that would motivate and bring to commitment all members of staff. However, though in this aspect these two concepts interrelate and should be viewed as a part of one process, managing diversity being an extension of equal opportunities principle, there are some aspects of both phenomena that should be considered separately.

On the one hand, the problem of equal opportunities is connected with eliminating any inequality at the workplace, that is, ensuring that all potential employees are in the same position when applying for a job and actually working. Though any kind of racial, religious, national, sex or age discrimination, as well as discrimination of people with disabilities, is prohibited by law in all democratic countries, still, regrettably, different kinds of discrimination and oppression still exist. The anti-discrimination laws do not always work, and though blatant oppression occurs quite rarely, some employers tend to discriminate people under the guise of being dissatisfied with their performance, educational background or skills.

For example, the number of females working at unstable and low-paid jobs is much higher than the number of men doing the same kind of jobs; racism and national discrimination is very popular as it allows employees to pay less to certain categories of workers; ageism (the oppression of older or younger people) is a topical problem in many countries.On the other hand, the issue of equal opportunities is sometimes of a contradictory character as there are laws in many countries forcing companies to employ a particular percentage of minorities of any kind, thus restricting opportunities of the majority.

In fact, as the demand for jobs has risen, the majorities in many countries (as a rule, white male with no disabilities and of traditional orientation) tend to blame the minorities for competing with them in the struggle for workplaces, and often winning these "battles" not because of their exceptional skills, but because they belong to the minorities that according to