Scenario
You come across a news article reporting that your favorite company was faced with a public lawsuit in which they were accused of widespread discrimination against individuals from an ethnicity, culture, or belief system you associate with.
Thoughts
Recent executive orders and policies that have been put into play are unfortunately somewhat relevant to our prompt for this week. While the widespread discrimination may not be in effect just yet, there are several companies out there that are “showing their true colors,” so to speak, and have dropped their DEI policies that were previously in place. Seeing which companies decided to agree to this was an eye-opening experience for sure and left me in a position of needing to reevaluate the way I felt about each of them.
Before jumping to any conclusions, I would first need to do my own research, confirming that the rumors (of dropping DEI practices, or facing a lawsuit surrounding widespread discrimination) were true. If the research was fruitful, I do believe I would feel differently about each company – we were meant to have come such a long way since the discrimination in our country’s history, it would be disappointing to know we were heading back in that direction.
This change in perspective would also very likely influence my decisions to support the company as well, especially if I had relatively easy alternatives to do business. It can be hard to boycott certain companies, especially if living in a place that does not offer much variation. But, if there is a choice available, I would absolutely stand with the company that does NOT have discrimination lawsuits against them.
I would not willingly apply to work for a company that had a public lawsuit against them due to discrimination. Personally, I want to be proud of the company I work for, I want to share that with my peers who my employer is. If there is any sense of discomfort or uncertainty when sharing that information, that is not the company for me.
Hi Grace,
I appreciate how you tie in our current political climate and today’s news to this imaginary circumstance. I’m sure these theoretical posts topics will be useful in preparing us for standing up to our favorite companies that may end up acting in ways that differ from our personal opinions. I also appreciate how you mention researching the topic as I find it easy to get swept away with media/posts that spread like wildfire instead of discovering the real facts.
Hi Grace!
I really liked how you pointed out the importance of doing your own research before reacting. That’s such a good reminder especially in a time when news spreads so fast online. I also agree that if the claims turn out to be true it makes sense to feel differently about the company. I’d feel let down too especially if it was one I supported for a long time. Wanting to be proud of where you work really stuck with me because I feel the same way. Being connected to a company that aligns with your values makes all the difference.