Workplace equity and Nondiscrimination in a health care organization

For effective service delivery in a healthcare organization, institutional policy should be based on equity and a deliberate effort to ensure non-discrimination. Equity issues, if strictly adhered to, eliminate the risk of discrimination arising and targeted to a specific group of healthcare provision workers. There should be no discrimination based on sex and gender. Responsibilities and tasks should be distributed equally and some obligations should not be perceived as the preserves of one of the genders (Cadrain, 2008).

The process of determining the levels of compensation and promotions shall entirely be based on merit rather than gender stereotypes. Opportunities should be given on an equal basis. Discrimination in employment is unfair not only in healthcare but in all other professional fields. When people are awarded opportunities based on unfair criteria, the deserving candidates will be de-motivated. Resources will be wasted and service delivery will be negatively impacted on.

There should not be discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, political orientation and any other individual and communal attributes (Cadrain, 2008).. Besides the legal statutes that have been put in place to safeguard individuals from discrimination based on race, religion and the other bases, healthcare institutions should put in place mechanisms outside state or federal legislation to fight against discrimination and inequity within their frameworks.

These policies of fighting inequity should not be tailored to protect the rights of minorities alone; non-minority groups could also be targeted by unequal treatment and this should be disallowed. To mitigate inequity and discrimination that may be unintentionally and unconsciously executed, the healthcare organization should put in place affirmative action policies to promote the welfare of employees from minority groups (Cadrain, 2008).. Healthcare organizations should create concise records on the availability of qualified healthcare deliverers in each job category and the degree to which this availability matches its utilization.

In case there are shortfalls in any given category, a timetable for filling the shortcoming should be made, putting into consideration the affirmative action policy already formulated so that the staff in the organization is representative of minority population groups. In response to non-discrimination issues, a healthcare organization should conduct extensive awareness campaigns within its staff so that every member is familiar with the various causes and facets of inequity and discrimination as well as their negative impact on the delivery of holistic health care services (University of Connecticut Health Center, 2009).

Racial, cultural, religious and political sensitivity is an integral part of the competencies recommended in meeting emerging standards of care, and every healthcare organization should strive as hard as it can to instill these levels of competence in its members of staff. Healthcare organizations should seek to embrace as well as promote diversity in the workplace. This involves creating a harmonious environment in the workplace where fundamental differences can not only thrive but can be used to enhance the quality of care delivered to patients.

The effort of ensuring equity and non-discrimination should not be approached from a policy or organizational structures and processes perspective; the concern should mainly be on changing individual attitudes of staff members who may develop the tendency to stereotype their compatriots, seniors, juniors or even patients based on the differences that exist among people (University of Connecticut Health Center, 2009). This is not to say that the framework of fighting inequity and discrimination should not be established as it becomes very vital in balancing relationship between majority population groups and minorities.

References

Cadrain, D. (2008). Sexual Equity in the Workplace: Leaders of Pioneering Companies Identity Reasons for Having a Workplace Open to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees and Steps to Create Such Environments. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_9_53/ai_n29460526/ University of Connecticut Health Center, (2009). Affirmative Action, Non-Discrimination, and Equal opportunity. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from http://www. policies. uchc. edu/policies/policy_2002_44. pdf