Diversity in the workforce has come a long way from the past where it was limited and often not tolerated. Today, diversity plays an active and important role in daily business activities. However, many business owners are unprepared to handle the ever-changing diverse workforce. There are ways employers can start to understand diversity and its complications, such as detailed policies around sexual harassment and fair pay regardless of gender. When women entered the workforce it was initially met with hesitation but proved they could perform jobs as well as men. The role of women in the household changed forever after proving their value during World War I and II.

1. DivingIntoDiversity
Believe itornotthere wasa time whenthe workforce inAmericahadverylittlediversityandverylittle
tolerance foritas well.However,withrecentchangesinperceptionwe asasociety have movedforward
intoa newera of reason.Diversityinthe workforce todayisa veryactive andimportantpart that playsa
significantrole indailyactivitieswhetherwe know itor not.Withthisnew age manybusinessowners
are notpreparedto handle the everchangingworkforce.Whenevertheyare facedwiththisproblem
theyusuallypanicandcrack underthe pressure because theyhave noteducatedthemselves.There are
manyways that employerscanbegintounderstanddiversityanditscomplications.One of the biggest
obstaclesinthe workforce isgenderdifferences.Womenare fairlynew inthe workforce. Womenonly
startedtakingpart inthe majorworkforce aroundthe turn of the 19th
century.Thismaynot seemlike
somethingthatisa verybigdeal,butit playsan active role all of the time
Whenwomenwere introducedintothe workforce itwasmetwithsome hesitationbecause of
whatthe role of femaleswasinthe past.It wasthoughtthat theyshouldstayat home and not have a
job. Howeverwhen the WorldWarsstarted,mostmen were drafted.Since the menwere busyatwar
the womenof the nationsteppedupandtook the leadinthe workforce.Theytookoveralmostall of
the jobsthat menhad, andtheydidthemjust as well.Thisincludedmanyof professions suchasdoctors
and lawyers.Afterthe warswere overwomensaw thattheywere notbeingtreatedfairlyandsawthat
theycoulddo justas well inthe workforce.It wasthenthat therole of womeninthe household
changedforever.
In today’sworkforce there needstobe manydetailedpoliciesaroundsexualharassment,and
howit shouldbe handled.Manyemployersshove these problemsoff tothe side because theyare vague
and take a longtime to figure out.These problemsshouldbe dealtwithimmediatelyandasthoroughly
as possible.There isalsothe actof hiring.Youcannotdiscriminate basedongender.Itisaprotected

2. groupas statedbythe Equal EmploymentOpportunityActof 1972. Thisact forbidsemployersfrom
discriminatingonnon-jobbasedcriteria.Youshouldalwaysbase decisionsonemployeesononlyjob-
relatedcriteriaandnothingmore.Finally there isthe matterof pay.Your employee,male orfemale,
shouldbe paidfairlyandnot more or lessbecause of theirgender.Thesesimple guidelinescanprepare
employersforthissmall butimportantpiece of diversity.The worldisever-changingandwithitwe must
change as well.
DariusMorgan isthe NewInitiativesProjectManagerforSouthHillsSchool of BusinessandTechnology.
He isa first-yearBAMMstudent.