ENGR 30 Module 3 – Flashcards (Diversity & Inclusion)

What is workplace discrimination?

Illegal unfair treatment of employees based on protected characteristics

What organization enforces federal workplace discrimination laws?

EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)

Is workplace discrimination legal?

No, it is illegal

What are protected characteristics under discrimination law?

Race, color, religion, national origin, sex (incl. pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity), age, disability, genetic info, retaliation

Name common areas where workplace discrimination occurs

Hiring, firing, promotion, pay, job assignment, harassment, training, benefits, accommodations

Give an example of illegal interview behavior

Asking about marital status or children

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

Made discrimination illegal

What did the Equal Pay Act of 1963 do?

Required equal pay for equal work

What did the ADA (1990) require?

No disability discrimination + reasonable accommodations

What did the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (2022) do?

Protects pregnant workers and allows accommodations

What did the 2020 Supreme Court ruling clarify?

Gender identity and sexual orientation are protected

What is the most common discrimination claim?

Retaliation (~55%)

What is the most common type after retaliation?

Disability discrimination

What did the 2004 study show about names?

African American-sounding names → 50% fewer callbacks

What did the 2016 “resume whitening” study show?

Removing racial info increased callbacks for Black and Asian applicants

UPS grooming policy case – what type of discrimination?

Religious discrimination

Google lawsuit (3.8M settlement) was about what?

Pay discrimination (women & Asian engineers)

Can employers retaliate against discrimination complaints?

No

% of women engineers (2021)?

~16%

% of women in computer science?

~26.1%

Are Latinx and Black people proportionally represented?

No, they are underrepresented

What trend is seen for Latinx students in STEM degrees?

Increasing participation

What trend is seen for Black students in STEM degrees?

Little to no increase

Why do women leave engineering?

Workplace culture, lack of advancement, unequal workload

What happens in group work?

Men take more technical roles; women get admin tasks

What are microaggressions?

Subtle, everyday discrimination

What is stereotype threat?

Fear of confirming negative stereotypes

What is tokenism?

Hiring for appearance of diversity only

What is biculturalism?

Navigating different cultural expectations at work vs personal life

Why are diverse workplaces beneficial?

More innovation, productivity, less bias, better decisions

How does inclusion affect retention?

Employees are less likely to leave

Key traits of an inclusive workplace?

• Good leadership

• Equal voice

• Value differences

• Opportunities for growth

• Collaboration

First step to inclusion?

Recognize bias exists

How improve team inclusion?

Clear roles, communication, expectations, feedback loops

Who were the three women?

Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan

What did they do?

NASA “human computers” who helped launch John Glenn

What barrier did they face?

Segregation

What enabled their opportunities?

Executive orders banning discrimination in defense industry

What caused the Flint water crisis?

Switching to contaminated water source

What chemical issue worsened the problem?

Corrosive water → lead leaching

Health effects of lead?

Brain damage, developmental issues

How many died from Legionnaires’ disease?

~12 people

What is redlining?

Housing discrimination limiting minority communities

How did systemic racism affect Flint?

Poor infrastructure, weak political power, ignored concerns