Diversity in Workplace - Essay Example

In our organization, the management had put effort to embrace diversity. The organization was dealing in pharmaceutics where it distributes products to small-scale retailers in various cities. Ideally, diversity in workplace adds value because it improves creativity and innovation (Van Vilsteren, et al., 2016). An organization that embraces diversity protects the interests of both sexes, persons with disability, age, and ethnicity. In the previous workplace, the existing departments include finance, procurement, human resource, and top management. In human resource department, the male employee was more than female employees were. In the organization, the management had tried to embrace diversity yet there few female employees in the entire organization. Besides, leaders in the organization as a whole are male, and thus there was a need to improve the women participation in the leadership position.

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In the last decade, women have proven to be sharp in the institution of learning and are likely to acquire college education than their male counterparts (Marmenout & Lirio, 2014). Despite potentials of women to participation labor force, there were gender gaps in our organization. Researchers attempt to know why women are shunning workplace despite the efforts to reduce their representations. In the past, our organization has reserved job positions for women that were popular in various parts of the organization. However, the female employee turnover was constantly increasing and left management in worries regarding the causes of the phenomenon.

The increase in the number of women leaving workplaces provoked research regarding the cause of the behavior. The research conducted in the human resource department in the organization revealed that reserving positions for women in the organization was not enough to increase their representations and retain them in the workplace. It was apparent that the organization did not do much to make the women comfortable in the workplace.

Some privileges for women that were lacking in our organization include paid maternity leave, part-time work, protections for pregnant women and adequate remunerations. A compiled reports from the human resource management department showed that the organization did not allow part time terms of employment that most women prefer. Women with young children are uncomfortable to work for eight hours without meeting their children (Van Vilsteren, et al., 2016). As a result, the women prefer to quite full-time employment in our organization and look for part-time jobs elsewhere. The women in our organization were pursuing postgraduate courses hence their schedules did allow fulltime employments.

The organization did not offer paid maternity leave, and women left the jobs for other organization. It was hard to retain women in our organization because there were no allowances for maternity leaves. Besides, the female employees did not have a right to ask part-time jobs especially those with babies. Analytically, the level of remunerations for women was low and that the money was not enough to cater for the needs (Van Vilsteren, et al., 2016).

Things the management is doing to enhance diversity.

The increase in the female employee turnover in our organization has called for reforms in the organization. The management has allowed women to request for part-time jobs (Linton et al., 2016). In this case, women report to work after they finish household course and classes for those in institutions of learning. Additionally, the organization has introduced paid maternity leave. The female employees benefit from a paid leave to take care of their newborns. Additionally, expectant women are exempted from jobs that may interfere with the safety of their pregnancies. In this case, expectant women are not involved in the vigorous activities such as lifting weights, and active movements to various departments. Since the introductions of privileges to favor the nature of female employees, there is a rise in the number of women in the organization. The women are given leadership positions and are empowered to stand for the needs of their fellow women in the workplace (Linton et al., 2016).

The issue of women representation in the workplace is facing organizations in different parts of the world (Marmenout & Lirio, 2014). However, stakeholders in organizations are rising to address the problem in the possible ways. Now, the numbers of women in formal employment are increasing because of better terms of employment. Girls child education is the center of focus where the number of women graduating from colleges is increasing each year. The family set up is changing where men and women contribute equally in the child upbringing. For this reason, more women are seeking for jobs hence their representations are raising. The World Bank reports 2015, shows that 33% of women are likely to graduate from colleges and take formal jobs. Institutions have realized the hidden treasure in women, and thus more women are heads of departments. In our former organization, the efforts to improve diversity include paid maternity leave, an introduction of part-time jobs and protections of expectant mothers.

In conclusion, diversity makes workplace competitive because of talents. An organization needs to find a lasting solution to address diversity issues. For example, women need to pay maternity leave, part-time jobs, and better remunerations. It is important organizations to recognize the importance of different kinds of employees and address the needs of all types of employees.

Reference

Marmenout, K., & Lirio, P. (2014). Local female talent retention in the Gulf: Emirati women bending with the wind. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(2), 144-166.

Linton, S. J., Boersma, K., Traczyk, M., Shaw, W., & Nicholas, M. (2016). Early workplace communication and problem solving to prevent back disability: results of a randomized controlled trial among high-risk workers and their supervisors. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 26(2), 150-159.

Van Vilsteren, M., van Oostrom, S. H., de Vet, H. C., Franche, R. L., Boot, C. R., & Anema, J. R. (2015). Workplace interventions to prevent work disability in workers on sick leave. The Cochrane Library.