Inequality In The Workplace Essay

As the Canadian population becomes more diverse it would be reasonable to expect that workplace inequality and insecurity would decrease. However, because employers attempt to increase profits and dividends to the stakeholders, vulnerable workers will increasingly be forced to take employment in jobs with low pay and few benefits. Inequality in the workplace is aided by the insecurity of the workplace.

The structure of the workplace can lead to workplace insecurity. Workplace insecurity according to Krahn, Lowe, and Huges, (2012) is where standard employment such as permanent full time employment is not readily available. Lacking permanent work people are working precarious jobs. That is to say, they are working more part time jobs, temporary work, contract or contingency work, or are deemed to be self-employed. These types of employment provide barriers to benefits such as health care and pensions. Because the job today might not exist tomorrow, workers have no guarantee of future employment (Krahn et al.).

Workplace inequality is more obvious in its description as discrimination, but it is not always easy to identify. There are 4 basic categories of employees who are at risk of inequality in the workplace, women, aboriginals, visible minorities, and the disabled (Krahn et al, 2012).

They bring with them a culture that is not easily understood or trusted by those from outside. Dependence on social programs when they arrive and the goal of bringing family from war torn areas of the globe increase the mistrust some feel towards these individuals. These workers are often well educated, but Canadian standards are reluctant to acknowledge the status of these individuals in an effort to protect the educational attainment of those workers who are native to our country (Krahn et al.,