In the scenario we have been given, the company is faced with a large lawsuit for discrimination against a group that I associate myself with. Knowing that this company has treated employees differently and unfairly would definitely influence my feelings toward the company. It would be important for me to know if the allegations were true but just the fact that there were accusations among many employees would have a big impact on my opinion toward the company initially.
A lawsuit surrounding discrimination in the workplace would really make me question whether this is a good company. I would feel reluctant to support the company with my business. If it was a company that I really liked and had thought was doing good things, this kind of information would make me feel incredibly disappointed. I would ultimately decide that there must have been more going on behind the scenes than the company portrayed to the public. Knowing that the company had treated employees poorly that were part of a group that I am part of would also make me really angry as well as empathetic to those who had faced the discriminatory treatment.
This kind of information would have an even bigger impact on any future decisions to apply to work at the company. It would make me very wary of purposefully putting myself in a situation where I may face similar treatment and discrimination solely based on my membership within a certain group.
Katharine,
Great post! I would also feel incredibly disappointed if a favorite company of mine was practicing discrimination and I had been previously supporting their business and thought they had been doing good things. Maybe a sudden negative change could have been from hiring someone new in management that was making unethical decisions? Or maybe the discrimination issues have been hidden for years and never been a public topic until now? Especially if it was a company where I bought products or a service from, I would feel guilty continuing to consume their products if I knew discriminations allegations in the company were true and towards many people.
The other points you make in your post definitely shine a light on the idea that it is so important to really do research on companies you want to work for, etc. to really see what they are about so one doesn’t get stuck working for an unethical business. That way you’d never be preventing yourself from being put in a situation faced with similar treatment with discrimination.
Hi Katharine,
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I think your approach with empathy is so critical. I think many people jump to protect the company they like rather than empathy toward the person that was discriminated against. By approaching the situation with empathy, those in similar situations may feel comfortable stepping out as well.
Thanks,
Sara
It’s always disappointing when a company you support turns out to be one of the “bad” ones. It would also change my view on working there because I wouldn’t want to set myself up to be treated poorly like others who have worked there. A big part for me is seeing how companies react to those situations and the steps they take to change their ways.