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If you know your boss to be someone who is deeply biased, and you don’t want to confront them alone, your best option is to write an email instead. State the facts of what was said, what made you uncomfortable, and how you disagree with them. In this way, you are documenting the situation, should the bias escalate.
Simply being aware of unconscious bias can immediately start to reduce our reliance on generalizations or stereotypes. Establish clear criteria in advance of making decisions (hiring, promotion, etc.) so that bias gets taken out of the decision-making process. Hold decision-makers accountable, including yourself.
Three types of bias can be distinguished: information bias, selection bias, and confounding. These three types of bias and their potential solutions are discussed using various examples.
Do Not Ignore Workplace Favoritism: You May Be Entitled To Sue Your Employer. … If it is rooted in any of these three factors, favoritism can be considered an illegal practice, which means you may have a right to file a lawsuit against your employer for disfavoring you or, on the other hand, favoring other workers.
Challenge implicit biases by identifying your own, teaching colleagues about them, observing gap-closing teachers, stopping “tone policing,” and tuning into such biases at your school.
What is implicit bias? Implicit (unconscious) biases are “attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.” 4 Meaning we are not even aware that they are occurring. These biases are prevalent and permeate throughout the workplace at all levels.
Have a basic understanding of the cultures your patients come from. Don’t stereotype your patients; individuate them. Understand and respect the tremendous power of unconscious bias. Recognize situations that magnify stereotyping and bias.
We have a bias when, rather than being neutral, we have a preference for (or aversion to) a person or group of people. Thus, we use the term “implicit bias” to describe when we have attitudes towards people or associate stereotypes with them without our conscious knowledge.
Explore and identify your own implicit biases by taking implicit association tests or through other means. Practice ways to reduce stress and increase mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, or focused breathing. Consider experiences from the point of view of the person being stereotyped.
It can be minimized or eliminated by using blinding, which prevents the investigators from knowing who is in the control or treatment groups. If blinding is used, there still may be differences in care levels, but these are likely to be random, not systematic, which should not affect outcomes.
However, favouritism may be illegal if it takes the form of discrimination, harassment, or other mistreatment that violates the law. Importantly, if preferential treatment is motivated by a protected characteristic, such as age, race or sex, then there is scope for aggrieved employees to bring a claim.
Here’s how: Make a List of Specific Examples: Make a list of circumstances where your work could have been more productive with no one standing over your shoulder. Let your boss know that your goal is to increase productivity and save time for both of you. Describe the issue as one of refining processes.
Try to be open to your boss’s position. Ask questions to make sure you really understand what he wants to communicate to you. Try to think of the conversation not as a confrontation but as a collaboration, in which you and your supervisor can find a solution together.
In some cases, workplace favoritism may violate laws prohibiting retaliation. … Numerous state and federal laws prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who engage in protected activities, including filing internal complaints, reporting employer misconduct, filing discrimination charges, or filing lawsuits.
Favoritism may be illegal, if it takes the form of discrimination, harassment, or other mistreatment that violates the law. Favoritism happens when managers dole out the benefits based on who they like, rather than who is doing the best job for the company.
Why Implicit Bias Matters
Implicit bias matters because everyone possesses these unconscious associations, and implicit bias affects our decisions, behaviors, and interactions with others. Although implicit biases can be positive or negative, both can have harmful effects when they influence our decision-making.