Dive Brief:
- Motherboard reports that employees of Security Industry Specialists, the contractor that Amazon hired to protect its Seattle campus, are alleging discrimination. The complaints stem from training videos they were required to watch upon hire, but the workers also point to a broader culture of discrimination.
- One claimant, Kulani Yacub, told Motherboard the training videos described terrorists as bearded men wearing turbans. She also said that she and other Muslims face Islamaphobia on a regular basis. The Service Employees International Union Local 6 reports that 21 contractors for the e-retailer have complained of religious unfairness since 2016, and the number went up after a February "pray-in."
- Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon has spoken out about equality in the workplace, but contractors allege that the same rights employees enjoy do not extend to them. Muslim workers at Amazon claim they often must pray in secret to avoid problems with other employees.
Dive Insight:
It's one thing to have anti-discriminatory policies in place to protect workers from all nationalities, religious beliefs and countries of origin; it's another to make sure that all employees and contractors are treated respectfully during training and onboarding activities.
Stereotypes have no place in training about terrorism. Indeed, learning programs are often used to educate against stereotyping in the workplace, so this example is doubly problematic. Training that targets a specific group of people as terrorists undermines company culture and leaves a company open to discrimination allegations, or worse.
Learning and design professionals can and should develop employee training that is neutral and doesn't foster discriminatory ideas. Employee resource groups can be utilized to screen training materials for potentially offensive ideas or representations. Taking the time to listen to employee needs is key to ensuring equality throughout the workplace.
