Big wake-up call

Discrimination at work: one in three affected

(Bild: Sabrina - stock.adobe.com)

According to a Europe-wide survey, one in three employees has experienced discrimination at work.

According to the survey, 31 percent of men and 36 percent of women surveyed stated that they had already been discriminated against at work. The 1,800 respondents included 200 people in Austria.

However, according to the analysis by the consulting and auditing firm EY, only slightly less than half of them (49 percent) reported the incidents to superiors or other contact persons. Men (54 percent) were slightly more likely to take this step than women (46 percent).

However, the situation is not the same in every company: according to employees, there are fewer experiences of discrimination (29%), especially if the management level is diverse and inclusive. In contrast, around 36 percent of those surveyed experienced discrimination in a management team with little or no diversity.

According to EY, 1,800 employees in nine European countries were surveyed for the study. Specifically, there were 200 each from Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria and the Netherlands. According to EY, half of the respondents were managerial and half non-managerial employees. The survey was conducted online in September and October 2023.

Gap between management and employees
According to the analysis, managers rated their company much more positively when it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion. 63% of managers stated that their company has a culture of trust and transparency. Only 44 percent of non-managerial employees agreed with this.

"The fact that the assessments of the different levels of employees in this country and in Europe diverge so clearly and in so many categories when it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion clearly indicates a gap between management and employees," said Ev Bangemann, member of the EY Management Board. The high number of people who have already felt discriminated against should be a wake-up call for employers "to drive a real cultural change in the company that includes all employees."