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Diversity has been defined as the condition of being diverse; as being different from one another; and as having qualities that are distinct. Some of the differences can be race, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, and physical or mental capabilities. In the workplace, distinct qualities and abilities are assets. Individuals bring unique abilities and ideas.
Scope
Diversity impacts employers, employees, and customers.
Regulatory citations
- None
Key definitions
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Summary of requirements
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs (OFCCP) provide some guidelines diversity. However, complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and generating affirmative action plans are not the same as diversity.
No federal laws require organizations to be diverse. The statutes prohibit discrimination in employment and in employment decisions, but they don’t extend into requiring organizational diversity. Being diverse may, however, help you show that you do not discriminate.
Diversity isn’t a new idea, and many employers argue in support of diversity, reporting that it positively affects the bottom line, as well as other, more intangible areas of the organization.
As demographics have changed, the industrial market has evolved to a global one, and as such, organizations reflect this evolution. Diversity can strengthen and improve an organization by bringing a different viewpoint, a new method, a fresh approach, a broadened awareness, and a cultural expansion to it. Customers have become more diverse, and having employees who can understand them can help make organizations successful. Therefore, diversity is more than an outgrowth of political correctness. In many cases, it has become a business—a competitive—necessity.
Instead of wasting time, money, and effort responding to workplace members who feel they are discriminated against, organizations can be proactive and capitalize on the distinctions that individual employees bring to the competitive table. If quality employees feel unwelcome and undervalued, they may seek employment elsewhere, costing the organization in recruiting and hiring initiatives.
Diversity is measurable in an organization. Baseline information can be compared to future data show changes. Such information as turnover rates, absenteeism, and discrimination complaints can be studied.
When organization demographics come to more closely reflect that of the surrounding community, and an organization shows that it values the individual qualities of its employees, organizations often capitalize on the differences.