IZA World of Labor marks Diversity Day on May 30

Diversity Day is an initiative of the Charta der Vielfalt association and this year takes place on May 30, 2017. Launched with 240 companies and institutions on June 11, 2013, the day shows how diversity contributes to strengthening workplaces as well as addressing current socio-political issues.

For Diversity Day IZA World of Labor is highlighting articles which look at workplace discrimination and policy advice for protecting workers from discrimination.

In his article on sexual orientation and labor market outcomes, Nick Drydakis says that people who have a minority sexual orientation experience more obstacles to getting a job, lower job satisfaction, earning bias (especially gay men), and more bullying and harassment than their heterosexual counterparts. He suggests, “Employers should collaborate with gay and lesbian workers to make the workplace an inclusive environment for people of a minority sexual orientation. An accepting and diverse workplace culture enhances job satisfaction for gay and lesbian workers, which in turn affects their productivity and commitment to their work.”

Melanie Jones has written about disability and labor market outcomes. She observes that when disability is defined as limitations in basic activities, the average employment gap across Europe is about 20 percentage points, reflecting an employment rate among disabled individuals of 47% as compared to 67% among those not disabled. She advises that governments should provide incentives for employers to retain disabled workers and by designing welfare systems that support working disabled people.

For more information visit the Charta der Vielfalt website. IZA World of Labor will post articles and content on Twitter throughout the day using the official hashtag #ddt17.