Racism, sexual harassment and ageism among issues facing workers in Ireland

The most common form of discrimination reported was pay discrimination which was identified by 42% of respondents. Of those, 85% were women.

Racism, ageism and sexual harassment continue to be an issue in Irish workplaces, even as many people are working from home.

Recent studies have shown that incidence of workplace discrimination has increased by almost 20% on 2020.

Of over 1,100 workers surveyed by Matrix Recruitment, 46% said they have experienced some form of discrimination in their workplace.

Half of respondents said there is a racism issue in Ireland with 60% saying ethnic minorities have fewer promotional opportunities than their colleagues.

The vast majority said employers have a responsibility to their staff to offer training on issues relating to equality and discrimination.

Joanne Foley of Matrix Recruitment said every business owner and manager needs to have the conversation about racism in the workforce.

"Workplaces can be a breeding ground for prejudice, but by educating employees and addressing racism in the workplace, businesses and companies can influence the creation of a more positive and inclusive community for all," she said.

Pay discrimination

The most common form of discrimination reported was pay discrimination which was identified by 42% of respondents. Of those, 85% were women.

A quarter said they know of a colleague of the opposite sex, in the same role and with the same responsibilities who are being paid more than they are.

Just 14% said they would seek a pay rise if they were the victim of unequal pay however, 55% said they would raise the issue with their manager.

Only 1% said the issue would lead them to resign while 12% would consider leaving their current post if another job came along.

Ms Foley said that it should never come to this, saying: "More needs to be done at a corporate, industry and government level to close the gender pay gap in Ireland Salary transparency has a key role to play in closing the gap."

Glass ceiling

The glass ceiling still exists as a barrier for women and minorities with almost three-quarters of people identifying it as an issue in the Irish workforce. However, 45% believe that things are slowly improving.

More than one in four said the glass ceiling for women exists in their workplace while more than half said men have more opportunities for promotion.

Despite hundreds of thousands of employees working remotely, the 2021 Matrix Recruitment Workplace Equality Survey indicated the number of people reporting experiencing sexual harassment at work almost doubled in the space of one year.

In 2019, 10% of the workforce said they had experienced sexual harassment while at work. This jumped to 18% in 2020 and during 2021, 17% said they are still experiencing it.

Some examples of the type of harassment include comments made at virtual meetings, pictures shared of a sexual nature, unsolicited texts and emails.

"Sexual harassment can take many forms and does not have to happen when you are in the physical presence of the offender," said Ms Foley, adding that any incidents should be reported to HR or management.

The survey also showed that almost one-third of employees have had to tolerate sexist jokes or comments in work.

Ageism

People who have been part of the workforce for decades may have plenty of experience but 75% of people believe those over the age of 50 have fewer opportunities than their younger colleagues.

When asked at what age it might be difficult to move job, a third said that over-50s would struggle. This is backed up by Age Action who said people in their 50s and 60s find it very difficult to get job interviews.

The organisation said older people are facing ageism in the labour market.

"CSO figures show that Ireland has an ageing population. The issue is stark enough that the government is pushing out the retirement age in Ireland from 65 years to 68 years by 2028," said Ms Foley.

"Given that people are going to be in the workplace for longer, it is clear that employers need to do more to tackle age bias and disrupt the pattern of prejudice."

Today, Age Action will urge the government to ban employers from setting a mandatory retirement age.

They will tell an Oireachtas committee people should be allowed to keep their jobs for as long as they want and will oppose plans to increase the State pension age to 67 by 2031.