Tag: #workplace

LGBTQ IN WORKPLACE COMMUNITY

BY: VAIBHAVI MENON

“Nature made a mistake, which I have corrected.” With the changing times, The Lgbtq community has become an important aspect in our day to day life yet many people are opposed to the idea since they refuse to accept them. After the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that marriage is a right guaranteed to same-sex couples, many believed the largest battle for LGBTQ rights had been won. And while the gains in recognition and legal protections were no doubt significant, same-sex marriage recognition alone couldn’t have possibly resolved a number of longstanding LGBTQ issues – particularly LGBTQ workplace issues. More than 53 percent of LGBTQ workers hide their identity at the workplace, often citing a persistent feeling of being unwelcome. This identity struggle has detrimental impacts on their health, happiness, and productivity, in addition to businesses’ talent retention and leadership development.

Many LGBTQ workplace issues stem from the fact that currently, there’s no federal law that explicitly protects employees from discrimination due to their sexual identity, gender identity, or gender expression. Such protections have necessarily come from state laws and federal court cases interpreting the law to protect LGBTQ workers. This patchwork of court rulings and state legislation leaves many vulnerable. LGBTQ employment discrimination laws vary between states. Only 23 states (in addition to the district of Columbia) bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in both the public and private workforce. All told, nearly half of the U.S. LGBTQ population lives in a  state that doesn’t prohibit employment discrimination because of sexual orientation and gender identity. While this LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace has an undoubtedly negative impact on the social and economic circumstances of  LGBTQ people, it’s the subtle social dynamics within workplaces that wreak havoc on their security and sense of belonging. The combination of the stress of hiding their identities, loss of advancement opportunities, and often pervasive negative sentiments about their identities help create a pervasive sense of isolation among LGBTQ workers.

The negative impact of non-inclusive workplace cultures ultimately proves a detriment to employers. Overall, employee engagement amongst LGBTQ workers is 30 percent lower than their cisgender counterparts, according to Human Rights Watch, while one in five LGBTQ employees report they were already considering leaving their job. If there’s a silver lining for HR and compliance professionals looking to create a more inclusive environment that prevents sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace, it’s the increased workplace loyalty, productivity, and happiness of LGBTQ workers in inclusive environments, according to Human Rights Watch. One in four LGBTQ employees surveyed reported that they’ve stayed in a job specifically because of its inclusive environment. In addressing LGBTQ workplace issues, anti-discrimination policies and employee resource groups (ERGs) are often the first efforts companies take to better establish a more inclusive environment. Human Rights Watch warns, though, that such efforts don’t always send their intended message. About half of polled LGBTQ workers say that enforcement of non-discrimination policies depends upon their supervisor’s overall feelings about LGBTQ individuals, and while 67 percent said they felt “very welcomed” by their ERG, 31 percent reported feeling only “somewhat welcomed.”

Procrastination

There is a rule of science according to many great scientists “The entropy of this universe always tends to increase”. Now, what does this mean? It simply means that everything in this universe eventually moves from order to disorder. Nothing wants to settle itself unless or until some force is applied to it. Ok, if we go to some literal definitions of procrastination, it is the delaying or postponing of a task. It is the force that stops you from doing what you are going to do, regardless of whether you term it a degenerative or procrastination or anything else.

So definitions are all cool but let’s come to the reasons now. Why do we procrastinate tho we know it is harmful to our future?

Has it something to do with your self-control or is it fair enough to call a person lazy? Being lazy means doing nothing or state of inactivity but procrastination means doing something which is not important at that time by ignoring what is important.

Being very specific the answer is no. The Quote simply says it all.

“I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.”

Jerome K. Jerome (Three Men in a Boat, 1889).

Let’s see this scientifically, say we have two versions of ourselves one is our present self and the other one is our future self. We know eating healthy and doing workouts is good for our future self. And for his sake, we make plans at night about being productive the very next day, but in the morning we usually don’t follow our plans. And one of the major reasons for this is the comfort of our present self, who doesn’t want to ruin his sweet sleep early in the morning.

We make decisions for our future self but ultimately our present self has to implement those plans. And being very truthful our present self does want to do anything which will comfort us only in our future. I mean who wants to eat a bowl of salad for being healthy after months when all you can have is a donut now. Why would I wake up early in a winter morning for doing workout whose results are going to show after months from now when I am in my warm soft bed, cuddling my favorite pillow.

So now the major question is how to stop procrastinating? Let’s explain each step one by one.

Phase 1: Recognize that you’re going to procrastinate

You could be putting off a job because you had to re-prioritize your workload. If for a very good reason, you are momentarily avoiding a significant mission, then you are not procrastinating. Nevertheless, if you start putting things off indefinitely, or changing the emphasis because you want to stop doing it, then perhaps you are.

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.

Phase 2: Try to find out the reasons why you procrastinate

Try to find out why you don’t want to do a task which is that important to you. There could be a lot of reasons like you just don’t want to continue with your job but you have to due to some reasons, maybe you are not active enough when it comes to working, it could be anything and surprisingly perfectionism could also lead to procrastination sometimes as we might think we don’t have enough skills to complete the task, but try to find out a solution for your every reason.

Phase 3: Forgive yourself that you have procrastinated in the past. Research suggests that self-forgiveness will make you feel more optimistic about yourself and that the probability of procrastination in the future.

Phase 3: Come on to the job. Keep on doing that, not avoiding it. Write down the tasks you need to do, and determine the time to complete the tasks. It will allow you to take a positive approach to your job.

Phase 4: Promise yourself a reward for that. When you’re finishing a tough task in time, reward yourself with a treat, such as a slice of cake or a coffee from your favorite coffee shop. Just make sure you remember how good it feels to finish things off!

Phase 5: Rephrase the internal conversation. For example, the phrases “need to” and “have to” mean that you don’t have a choice in what you do. It can make you feel helpless and even lead to self-sabotage. Nonetheless, saying, “I want to,” means that you own a project which can help you feel more in control of your workload.

Phase 6: Minimize the noise. Switch off your email and social media, and stop sitting anywhere near a TV while you’re working!

The aim is to “eat the elephant beetle” first thing, every day! Get those things you find the least fun out of the way early. This will allow you the rest of the day to focus on the job you find more enjoyable.

So lets conclude this with a message which actually define procrastination

“Procrastination is reading all the quotes on this page when you have a huge report due tomorrow.”

R. T. A. Birektt (wish I thought of this one)

Top Highest Paying Jobs in India 2020- TRENDING AFTER CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC

Finding the highest paid jobs in India for freshers might seem a little difficult. But once you’ve found them, your task will get a lot easier. You’ll then know what you should focus on. And to help you in that regard, we have prepared the following list of the top jobs in India.

Well you need skills and alot of hard work too, to earn the highest pay that any field is offering. These options can however be one of the motivating factor for you. If you dont find the field of your interest then remember that –

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

“Earning money is possible in any job if one is passionate about the kind of work and hence hustles hard enough to reach the top of their game.”

The List to top highest paid jobs in India are as follows:

Blockchain developer

Much like how a normal web developer uses the protocols and design structure set up by a core web architect to build web apps, blockchain software developers build decentralized applications or Dapps using blockchain technology. Their roles include: Development of Smart Contracts

There’s a wide base of knowledge to help you become a blockchain developer. If you’re interested in joining the field, it’s an opportunity for you to make a difference by pioneering the next wave of tech innovations. It pays very well and is in high demand.

The banking sector, the insurance industry, governments, and retail industries are some of the sectors where blockchain developers can work. If you’re willing to work for it, being a blockchain developer is an excellent career choice.

Cybersecurity specialist

Cyber Security Specialist is responsible for providing security during the development stages of software systems, networks and data centers. The professionals have to search for vulnerabilities and risks in hardware and software. They manage and monitor any attacks and intrusions

Security analysts spend their days studying the devices in use, analyzing network structure, and testing security measures like firewalls and software permissions. They look for weak points and aim to shore up defenses. They also report regularly to upper administration and may have to present findings and recommendations before management. Security analysts sometimes work with other departments to ensure their colleagues understand the organization’s best practices for information security.

Digital marketing specialist

A digital marketing analyst is responsible for analyzing statistics and looking for ways that the company can improve its online marketing efforts. These efforts include things like social media ads, website banner ads, and online branding. Many businesses know that digital marketing is essential to their success.

Customer success specialist

Customer Success is an integration of functions and activities of Marketing, Sales, Professional Services, Training and Support into a new profession.  There are three necessary building blocks for this emerging profession: an in-depth knowledge of the customers, effective expertise in the product being sold, and extensive domain expertise.

Growth manager

he Growth Manager function typically lives at the intersection of marketing and product development, and is focused on customer and user acquisition, activation, retention, and upsell. The Growth Manager usually reports either to the CEO, the vice president of Product Management, or the vice president of Marketing.

Artificial intelligence specialist

Artificial intelligence (AI) specialists program computers to “think.” Some AI specialists work in cognitive simulation, in which computers are used to test hypotheses about how the human mind works. For example, the AI specialist might develop a computer program to simulate the way the human brain might recognize a face. The computer’s ability to recognize a face would then be compared to a human’s ability.

Data Analysts 

A good number of companies are leveraging Big Data in order to pull out the most vital and beneficial data. This practice has paved the way for augmented productivity not only for the companies but also for their employees.

So, what do Data analysts do? Well, they translate trajectories, trends, and numbers into digestible chunks of information. Businesses gather data such as inventories, profit margins, transportation costs, logistics, and sales figures, etc.

Data analysts collect that data and help the companies to go with workable business decisions. The primary job of a data analyst is to resolve the issues that increase the company’s costs and to make better decisions for the expansion of the business. 

Robotics engineer

India might be a little slow when it comes to technology advancements, nut we have some of the most brilliant minds in this country. Machines have started to replace people in dangerous jobs such as defense, space, nuclear power plants, etc.

A career in robotics is a career of the future and is a high paying career to adapt for.

Robotics Engineer deals with the design, building structure, and the applications of robots and computer and their manipulation and processing. Robotic science has a tremendous scope as a career option as robots play an important role in the industrial sector. 

Keep all future jobs in your mind now and start developing your skills in the one that excites you. Start finding your passion also starts working on it today. It really does not matter what career option you choose, but the key factor of getting the desired position lies in your resume writing skills. ensure that you have a professionally written resume along with sharpening your career, that 10x your chances to land your DREAM JOB.

Trailing blaze of Workplace Discrimination

Clara did not get her due promotion to be the Associate VP because she was expecting her first child. Mike was not allowed to put up his rosary bead on his computer. Gloria was not allowed to welcome her client because she was of ‘differential’ color. Sabrina was not given employment because she requested two 5 minutes break each day for her prayers. Satarupa was denied to be a part of the upcoming ‘big-client project’ because she was getting married in a month. Rahul never hangs out at the coffee spot, fearing his colleagues might ask him about his ‘personal’ life. Taylor was asked to resign because of a brawl with his ‘white‘ colleague.

Direct Discrimination. Religious Discrimination. Colorism. Religious Discrimination. Gender discrimination. Sexual Orientation Discrimination. Racial Discrimination.

The 21st Century Spectrum of Racism in America – Blue Delaware
Racial Discrimination

Almost everyday, we read about discrimination and how it is affecting lives worldwide. We read about it and for a few days, we feel very infuriated with it and then, like any other news, we just forget and move on. Then again a headlines come up and then the cycle continues. So did we actually manage to make any progress in that area. I believe we have, just momentarily.

Let me narrate a personal incident. It was about 3 years back. I recently joined a premium service-based organization after my graduation. After a month, my boss announced that our client is throwing a project success party. I was excited since that was going to be my first ‘corporate’ party. I got dressed up into, what people usually call as ‘one-piece’. It was pretty normal for me to be dressed like that. But the moment I stepped into the cubicle to leave with my colleagues for the party, one of my male colleagues looked at me directly and said:

“You are looking different. In fact, to tell you the truth, you are looking great in that short dress.”

I felt uneasy. The word ‘short’ made me uncomfortable. I did not say anything, I just smiled and went to the party.

At the party, I sat at the bar and ordered beer. My manager, who came with her family, appeared out of nowhere and gave a look at my bottle and said:

“How can a girl drink beer or any other hard drinks.”

I was astonished. I did not say anything and simply stood up and left. I was afraid to say anything because I thought that it might ruin my career in that company.

At the turn of the decade, gender inequality still affects ...
Gender Discrimination

But few years later, I ended up leaving the place because of multiple social reasons but that is not the point. The point is how on earth, even in this 21st century, are we dealing with such petty issues.

DISCRIMINATION.

Long word. Even have longer implications on the people who face it. Discriminatory remark, in its simplest form is very subtle and people usually fail to realize it. Like in my instance, I found those two comments to be quite derogatory but I was not sure whether to label it as discrimination.

Recently, CISCO was sued by the State of California because of it racial discriminatory actions against a ‘Dalit Indian-American’ employee as well as allowing him to be harassed by a couple of managers. Infosys is also facing a lawsuit due to racial discrimination which was filed by the diversity head of Infosys. Long back, Walmart faced a lawsuit due to gender as well as racial discrimination where they paid a black woman very less as well as denied her rightful promotion for years. Abercrombie &Fitch faced racial discrimination because of allowing the Latino and the Asians to work in the stock room and the ‘classically American’ on the shop floor. Nike faced lawsuit due to gender discrimination for violating Equal Pay Act and treating the women employees inferior to the male employees.

These are just few of the reported cases in the new. What goes unnoticed are the hundreds of such cases where the victims usually do not have the support to report it. It’s quite imperative that it’s high time for the Human Resource Manager to come into the play. They should take measures to curb such forms of discrimination at the workplace. Even though corporate and industries are embracing diversity and inclusion, HR Managers should promote this ‘diversity and inclusion‘ as a practice rather than an activity. A workplace is like a second home where we spend one-third of our day. We feel safe with our family, because they embrace us despite our flaws. AT the same time, HR should also make sure that the work environment should be inclusive enough to accept our diverse profiles. Such discrimination only creates differences and headlines which is like a blooming path for our competitors. Rather it is important that being an HR, we should promote this diversity, and use it to our own competitive advantage.

Be different. Be unique.

Source:

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17683484/nike-women-gender-pay-discrimination-lawsuit

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/infosys-faces-fresh-race-discrimination-suit-in-us/articleshow/76347038.cms

Workplace Wellness

The life of most of the working people basically revolves around their office and work. We go to huge buildings, sit at our desks all day, immerse ourselves in those laptops, and try to work relentlessly. Even when we reach home, all we can think about is the deadlines and targets that we have to achieve at work and what steps we are going to follow the next day to complete the tasks. Since most of us spend the majority of our time at work, it is given that the workplace environment plays an important role in both, our physical health as well as our mental health.

wellA healthy workplace is identified as the one where individuals feel valued and heard; a place that provides a positive workspace, and shows respect for all its members. As an employee, a manager, or even a CEO, you never should feel the toxicity oozing out of the place you have made your second home. Whereas a negative working environment is generally associated with depression and anxiety, harassment, and bullying among people in their prime years.

Risks to Mental Health at Workplace

  1. Workplace Stress – Workplace stress is caused due to rigid working hours. It could also be when the employees are unclear about the organizational goals they have to achieve and the tasks they have to accomplish or there is limited participation of employees in the decision – making and they have little or no control over their area of work.
  2. Lack of support – Colleagues often don’t support each other in decision making, there is poor communication between them. Even unproductive management practices and leadership qualities affect the employees in an organization.
  3. Inadequate health and safety policies – Managers and leaders often neglect the health and safety of their employees by overlooking the provision of necessary health policies.

Can we create a Mentally Healthy Workspace Environment?

In reality, creating a mentally healthy workspace environment is not as difficult as it seems. Good mental health is the key requirement for workplace wellness.

  1. Mental health should be promoted; there should be awareness and employees and employers should be able to talk freely about it.
  2. well2Employees should be provided with a clean, functional, and well-lit space and have a good working relationship with all staff. Employees should feel respected, appreciated, incentivized, and rewarded. Signs of intimidation, bullying, sexual harassment, and fear should be immediately checked out and necessary action taken.
  3. If a person has taken some measures to improve his mental health, others should support him. They could even take inspiration from him, and work on their own mental health.
  4. Counseling sessions could be organized for the employees letting them know where they could find help if required.
  5. There should be a provision of a comprehensive health insurance plan including smoking-cessation, weight-loss, and substance abuse programs.
  6. It takes two to make a healthy workplace. Employees should be in a position to be held accountable for their actions. They should come with a “can-do” attitude and be willing to support each other as well as management.

Image Courtesy: GOOGLE