Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

The racial and ethnic diversity of the health workforce is an integral aspect in alleviating healthcare disparities. (Institute of Medicine, 2004) Individuals from underrepresented minority groups are more likely to work in underserved areas. This increases accessibility to underserved patient populations. Despite the substantial need for diversity amongst the workforce (FireFighters, Paramedics/EMTs, Police) that serves communities of color, people of color remain underrepresented in many of these professions. The role of racism and discrimination, both individually and institutionally contributes to this disparity. (Institute of Medicine, 2004)

Continuous experiences of racism and discrimination in the workplace, at times, can led professionals to leave their careers. Thus, limiting individual advancement opportunities in public service careers, and organizational abilities to retain a diverse workforce. It is important to understand the connection between experiences with racism and career development among people of color working in public service.

"People spend almost a quarter, or more, of their lives at work and the compound experience of racism and discrimination in and out of the workplace can cause a significant amount of stress." (Snyder, 2019) It is up to fire departments, police departments, and EMS organizations to support their employees, taking into account the different forms of discrimination that they may face. Leadership can address both subtle and overt discrimination through "educating employees on cultural responsiveness, having clear policies in place for reporting and addressing racism related incidents, including incidents involving patients, supervisors, and peers, reviewing promotion requirements, and hiring practices to ensure workers at all levels are representative of the patient population." (Snyder, 2019)

Diversity amongst public service professionals is pertinent in order to properly serve diverse communities. Many studies have shown the vast amount of benefits in supporting and creating a diverse workforce. Public service is still a profession with very little diversity amongst providers, educators, and administrators. It is important to emphasize these disparities in order to bring awareness and change.

Love,

K.

References:

Snyder, C. R., & Schwartz, M. R. (2019). Journal of Cultural Diversity. Experiences of Workplace Discrimination among People of Color in Healthcare Professions., 23(3), 96–107.