If you look at the corporate ladder in your workplace, you may find that things don’t necessarily seem fair. For some employees, it is very easy to climb that ladder. They always get raises and promotions, and they may climb from an entry-level job to an executive position.
Other workers, however, have far more trouble climbing. They keep getting passed over for promotions, despite having the same experience and qualifications. They don’t make it to the executive level. Something is holding them back, and it is often referred to as a “glass ceiling” – especially when it disproportionately impacts one group or class of employees.
What would this look like?
A common example of the glass ceiling is when women face gender discrimination on the job. Promotions often seem to go to men with less experience and fewer qualifications. All of the executives are men, while women are lucky just to reach the level of manager or supervisor.
Now, this discrimination may not be something that the company admits to. Perhaps they claim to be an equal opportunity employer, and half of the employees are women. They will hire workers without gender bias, so they believe that is fair and in line with the law.
But it’s not just hiring that causes problems. When women are held back from the career advancement that they have earned – or when the same thing happens to minority workers, such as those with a different ethnic background or those in same-sex relationships – that’s still a severe form of workplace discrimination.
Legal options
Do you believe you have faced this type of discrimination on the job? Take the time to look into all of your legal options, as your rights may have been violated.