Diversity Management the Ontario Human Rights Code Essay

Diversity Management

The Ontario Human Rights Code prevents discrimination and harassment because of seventeen different things, and included on this list is "sexual orientation." Thus, there are no grounds for disciplining John and Ted on the grounds that they are homosexual. If they are in a relationship, it is possible that public displays of affection could be an issue here, and management would be able to address that if the company has a policy governing the behavior of couples in the workplace.

From an ethical perspective, this situation raises a particular issue relating to human resources management. Clearly, there is conflict between two groups in the workplace. Legally, it is not possible to sanction John and Ted, but it is possible to sanction the "conservative" team members should any of them harass John or Ted. Even harassment behind their backs could be subject to sanction, and there is a high likelihood that the men are already aware of the talk. It is worth considering that the manager must be able to foster an environment where the entire team is able to work together.

The steps to do this are strictly related to dialogue. There is no sanction that can be used against John and Ted and it is best that they are made aware of this at the outset of the discussion. The manager should inform them that the company expects their behavior to be professional, which in Canada tends to imply no touching in the workplace, whether sexual or not. The manager also needs to address this issue with the conservative members of the team. They need to be apprised of the thin ice on which they are walking when they make comments about John and Ted behind their back.In addition, the company has expectations for all team members to be committee to a diverse workforce and to ensure that all members of the team are made to feel included and welcome. No individual or group can dictate the company's norms based on their own personal feelings, and that will need to be the case here as well. The conservative members of the team therefore are just as responsible for improving their behavior and working towards a higher standard of inclusiveness as John and Ted are.

2. The status of women is lacking in this workplace, and it is likely due to informal barriers, since formal barriers are illegal under the Ontario Human Rights Code. There are several options for increasing the number of female executives. The first is to improve the quality of female candidates at lower levels -- perhaps the company is not doing enough to attract females with executive-level skills and aspirations, leaving it a pool of female workers incapable or unwilling to take on those kinds of roles. In addition, the company should build its internal systems to encourage women to seek higher roles. Some strategies that can work include devising a mentorship program, taking more chances hiring women into middle management where they….....