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Essays About Work: 7 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you want to write well-researched essays about work, check out our guide of helpful essay examples and writing prompts for this topic.

Whether employed or self-employed, we all need to work to earn a living. Work could provide a source of purpose for some but also stress for many. The causes of stress could be an unmanageable workload, low pay, slow career development, an incompetent boss, and companies that do not care about your well-being.  Essays about work  can help us understand how to achieve a work/life balance for long-term happiness.

Work can still be a happy place to develop essential skills such as leadership and teamwork. If we adopt the right mindset, we can focus on situations we can improve and avoid stressing ourselves over situations we have no control over. We should also be free to speak up against workplace issues and abuses to defend our labor rights. Check out our  essay writing topics  for more.

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5 Examples of Essays About Work

1.  when the future of work means always looking for your next job by bruce horovitz, 2. ‘quiet quitting’ isn’t the solution for burnout by rebecca vidra, 3. the science of why we burn out and don’t have to by joe robinson , 4. how to manage your career in a vuca world by murali murthy, 5. the challenges of regulating the labor market in developing countries by gordon betcherman, 6. creating the best workplace on earth by rob goffee and gareth jones, 7. employees seek personal value and purpose at work. be prepared to deliver by jordan turner, 8 writing prompts on essays about work, 1. a dream work environment, 2. how is school preparing you for work, 3. the importance of teamwork at work, 4. a guide to find work for new graduates, 5. finding happiness at work, 6. motivating people at work, 7. advantages and disadvantages of working from home, 8. critical qualities you need to thrive at work.

“For a host of reasons—some for a higher salary, others for improved benefits, and many in search of better company culture—America’s workforce is constantly looking for its next gig.”

A perennial search for a job that fulfills your sense of purpose has been an emerging trend in the work landscape in recent years. Yet, as human resource managers scramble to minimize employee turnover, some still believe there will still be workers who can exit a company through a happy retirement. You might also be interested in these  essays about unemployment .

“…[L]et’s creatively collaborate on ways to re-establish our own sense of value in our institutions while saying yes only to invitations that nourish us instead of sucking up more of our energy.”

Quiet quitting signals more profound issues underlying work, such as burnout or the bosses themselves. It is undesirable in any workplace, but to have it in school, among faculty members, spells doom as the future of the next generation is put at stake. In this essay, a teacher learns how to keep from burnout and rebuild a sense of community that drew her into the job in the first place.

“We don’t think about managing the demands that are pushing our buttons, we just keep reacting to them on autopilot on a route I call the burnout treadmill. Just keep going until the paramedics arrive.”

Studies have shown the detrimental health effects of stress on our mind, emotions and body. Yet we still willingly take on the treadmill to stress, forgetting our boundaries and wellness. It is time to normalize seeking help from our superiors to resolve burnout and refuse overtime and heavy workloads.

“As we start to emerge from the pandemic, today’s workplace demands a different kind of VUCA career growth. One that’s Versatile, Uplifting, Choice-filled and Active.”

The only thing constant in work is change. However, recent decades have witnessed greater work volatility where tech-oriented people and creative minds flourish the most. The essay provides tips for applying at work daily to survive and even thrive in the VUCA world. You might also be interested in these  essays about motivation .

“Ultimately, the biggest challenge in regulating labor markets in developing countries is what to do about the hundreds of millions of workers (or even more) who are beyond the reach of formal labor market rules and social protections.”

The challenge in regulating work is balancing the interest of employees to have dignified work conditions and for employers to operate at the most reasonable cost. But in developing countries, the difficulties loom larger, with issues going beyond equal pay to universal social protection coverage and monitoring employers’ compliance.

“Suppose you want to design the best company on earth to work for. What would it be like? For three years, we’ve been investigating this question by asking hundreds of executives in surveys and in seminars all over the world to describe their ideal organization.”

If you’ve ever wondered what would make the best workplace, you’re not alone. In this essay, Jones looks at how employers can create a better workplace for employees by using surveys and interviews. The writer found that individuality and a sense of support are key to creating positive workplace environments where employees are comfortable.

“Bottom line: People seek purpose in their lives — and that includes work. The more an employer limits those things that create this sense of purpose, the less likely employees will stay at their positions.”

In this essay, Turner looks at how employees seek value in the workplace. This essay dives into how, as humans, we all need a purpose. If we can find purpose in our work, our overall happiness increases. So, a value and purpose-driven job role can create a positive and fruitful work environment for both workers and employers.

In this essay, talk about how you envision yourself as a professional in the future. You can be as creative as to describe your workplace, your position, and your colleagues’ perception of you. Next, explain why this is the line of work you dream of and what you can contribute to society through this work. Finally, add what learning programs you’ve signed up for to prepare your skills for your dream job. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

For your essay, look deeply into how your school prepares the young generation to be competitive in the future workforce. If you want to go the extra mile, you can interview students who have graduated from your school and are now professionals. Ask them about the programs or practices in your school that they believe have helped mold them better at their current jobs.

Essays about work: The importance of teamwork at work

In a workplace where colleagues compete against each other, leaders could find it challenging to cultivate a sense of cooperation and teamwork. So, find out what creative activities companies can undertake to encourage teamwork across teams and divisions. For example, regular team-building activities help strengthen professional bonds while assisting workers to recharge their minds.

Finding a job after receiving your undergraduate diploma can be full of stress, pressure, and hard work. Write an essay that handholds graduate students in drafting their resumes and preparing for an interview. You may also recommend the top job market platforms that match them with their dream work. You may also ask recruitment experts for tips on how graduates can make a positive impression in job interviews.

Creating a fun and happy workplace may seem impossible. But there has been a flurry of efforts in the corporate world to keep workers happy. Why? To make them more productive. So, for your essay, gather research on what practices companies and policy-makers should adopt to help workers find meaning in their jobs. For example, how often should salary increases occur? You may also focus on what drives people to quit jobs that raise money. If it’s not the financial package that makes them satisfied, what does? Discuss these questions with your readers for a compelling essay.

Motivation could scale up workers’ productivity, efficiency, and ambition for higher positions and a longer tenure in your company. Knowing which method of motivation best suits your employees requires direct managers to know their people and find their potential source of intrinsic motivation. For example, managers should be able to tell whether employees are having difficulties with their tasks to the point of discouragement or find the task too easy to boredom.

A handful of managers have been worried about working from home for fears of lowering productivity and discouraging collaborative work. Meanwhile, those who embrace work-from-home arrangements are beginning to see the greater value and benefits of giving employees greater flexibility on when and where to work. So first, draw up the pros and cons of working from home. You can also interview professionals working or currently working at home. Finally, provide a conclusion on whether working from home can harm work output or boost it.

Identifying critical skills at work could depend on the work applied. However, there are inherent values and behavioral competencies that recruiters demand highly from employees. List the top five qualities a professional should possess to contribute significantly to the workplace. For example, being proactive is a valuable skill because workers have the initiative to produce without waiting for the boss to prod them.

If you need help with grammar, our guide to  grammar and syntax  is a good start to learning more. We also recommend taking the time to  improve the readability score  of your essays before publishing or submitting them.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

What Makes a Great Workplace?

Many of my friends really dread their jobs. They complain about employers who treat them like machinery—there to churn out whatever is required of them, regardless of the cost to their motivation, creativity or personal health. Their bosses seem to expect that they work long hours and stay glued to cell phones at night, but then show little appreciation or, worse, micromanage them. No one likes it; but what alternatives are there when employers have deadlines to meet or products to develop?

Plenty, according to psychologist Ron Friedman. In his new book, The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace . Friedman, a psychologist and business consultant, distills decades of research on motivation, creativity, and performance to provide both business leaders and their employees with useful tips for restructuring work environments to increase innovation, efficiency, and even joy in the workplace.

Some of Friedman’s suggestions may come as a surprise for those not familiar with the science and can seem downright counterintuitive. For example, he suggests that companies wanting to be successful and on the cutting edge of innovation need to embrace failure in their employees. That’s right, failure. “Accepting failure doesn’t just make risk-taking easier,” he writes. “In a surprising number of instances, it’s the only reliable path to success.”

essay about workplace

This idea comes from research on creativity showing that creative solutions most often come not from individual brilliance but from giving people the freedom try many different solutions to see which one works best. But, who can be a creative problem solver when stressed or when fearing retribution from a boss? We literally drain our brains of needed cognitive resources when we are in an anxiety-induced “fight or flight” mode. That’s why it behooves employers to give their employees permission to fail and to learn from their mistakes: it’s the path to innovation.

Friedman makes several other provocative suggestions for employers wanting to get ahead. For example, he suggests that they encourage employees to pursue outside interests on company time or to take frequent rests or even short naps on the job. Both of these have been shown help people to broaden their thinking and to make cognitive connections, which is important for innovation and job efficiency. And, for employees wanting to increase their work satisfaction, asking for more challenge and variety in job assignments or practicing gratitude can make a big difference in your happiness and productivity.

“Over time a continuous focus on what’s missing trains our minds to center on the negative,” writes Friedman. “But by taking a moment to redirect our attention to things that are going right…we restore a balance to our thinking that elevates our moods and prevents negative emotions like resentment, envy, and regret from creeping in.”

Additionally, he suggests that employers challenge employees without overwhelming them and empower them to find their own best approach to getting the job done (which may mean a flex schedule or working from home). And he provides employers tips for managing mood (important, since moods are contagious) and for thanking employees in ways that increase rather than kill motivation.

Overall, Friedman recommends fostering three things for better workplace environments: autonomy (employees having more control over their work), competence (employees having the tools they need to succeed), and relatedness (better social bonds at work). Though relatedness may be the most overlooked aspect of employee engagement, researchers who study predictors of productivity in the workplace have found that having a best friend at work has many benefits, including increasing employee focus, passion, and loyalty, and decreasing sick time and workplace accidents.

More on Positive Workplaces

How compassionate is your organization? Take the quiz !

Read the results of our compassionate organizations quiz!

Or take our grateful organizations quiz and compare your results to others

Is your organization lacking gratitude? Read five ways to cultivate grateful at work .

Learn about a new program to increase compassion on the job.

Daniel Goleman explore why leaders need a triple focus .

How to encourage friendships at work? “Proximity, familiarity, similarity, and self-disclosure all play a role,” writes Friedman. “The trick is to create the conditions that naturally foster these elements and integrate them into the work environment.” He suggests employers pay for activities that bring workers together in a shared activity, such as attending a yoga class or working together on a community project, or create break rooms or other communal spaces so that this happens naturally.

But while our social networks are important to nurture, Friedman warns against encouraging workplace gossip, which can have detrimental impacts on a business. Though it might be tempting to simply outlaw gossip, Friedman suggests instead that employers try to use gossip as a way to understand what’s going on interpersonally at work. Gossip often suggests that someone is feeling powerless in a situation or needs help and encouragement to succeed, he writes, and employers would do well to role-model transparency and a willingness to listen rather than prohibiting gossip or, worse, engaging in it themselves.

Friedman’s main message is that workplaces have a lot of room for improvement, and that paying attention to what we’ve learned from the science is a good idea. The old factory model of workplace efficiency—where each worker cog in the system is expected to do what he’s told to do without an understanding of how he’s contributing or the power to control his efforts—is outdated in our information economy. Instead, employers need to find the ways that they can encourage their most important asset—their employees—and strategically foster greater workplace innovation, productivity, and harmony.

“When we provide employees; with the flexibility to succeed in both their personal and professional lives, we achieve more than an extraordinary workplace,” he writes. “We create an organization that performs at its very best.”

About the Author

Headshot of Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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Essays on Workplace

Choosing a workplace essay topic can be a daunting task, especially when there are so many different aspects of the workplace to consider. Whether you are a student looking for a topic for a research paper or an employee looking to explore a new area of interest, it's important to choose a topic that is not only relevant but also interesting and engaging. In this article, we will explore some potential workplace essay topics and provide some tips for choosing the right one.

Relevance and Timeliness

One important consideration when choosing a workplace essay topic is the relevance of the topic to current trends and issues in the workplace. With the ever-changing nature of the modern workplace, it's important to choose a topic that is timely and relevant. For example, you might choose to write about the impact of remote work on productivity and employee well-being, or the rise of artificial intelligence and automation in the workplace. These topics are not only timely but also have the potential to generate interesting and valuable insights.

Depth of Analysis

Another important consideration when choosing a workplace essay topic is the potential for originality and depth of analysis. It's important to choose a topic that allows for in-depth research and analysis, rather than just scratching the surface. For example, instead of writing a generic essay about workplace diversity, you might choose to focus on a specific aspect of diversity, such as the impact of cultural differences on team dynamics or the challenges of creating an inclusive workplace culture. By choosing a more specific and focused topic, you can delve deeper into the subject matter and provide a more nuanced and insightful analysis.

Practical Application

In addition to relevance and depth of analysis, it's also important to consider the potential for impact and practical application of the chosen workplace essay topic. For example, you might choose to write about the role of leadership in creating a positive work environment, or the impact of employee engagement on organizational performance. These topics have the potential to provide valuable insights and practical recommendations that can be applied in real-world workplace settings.

Personal Interests and Expertise

When it comes to choosing a workplace essay topic, it's also important to consider your own interests and expertise. Choosing a topic that aligns with your interests and expertise can make the research and writing process more enjoyable and rewarding. For example, if you have a background in human resources, you might choose to write about the challenges of talent management in a globalized economy. Or if you have a passion for technology, you might choose to explore the impact of digital transformation on the future of work. By choosing a topic that aligns with your interests and expertise, you can bring a unique perspective to the subject matter and make a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge.

Audience Consideration

In addition to considering your own interests and expertise, it's also important to consider the potential audience for your workplace essay. Whether you are writing for a class assignment, a professional publication, or a general audience, it's important to choose a topic that is relevant and engaging for your intended readers. For example, if you are writing for a business publication, you might choose to focus on topics related to organizational leadership or strategic management. On the other hand, if you are writing for a general audience, you might choose to explore topics that have broader societal implications, such as the future of work or the impact of automation on job security.

Choosing a workplace essay topic is an important decision that requires careful consideration of relevance, depth of analysis, potential impact, and audience. By choosing a topic that is timely, relevant, and engaging, and aligns with your own interests and expertise, you can create a valuable and insightful piece of writing that contributes to the existing body of knowledge on workplace issues. Whether you are a student looking for a research topic or a professional looking to explore a new area of interest, choosing the right workplace essay topic is the first step towards creating a compelling and impactful piece of writing.

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Essays on Workplace

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essay about workplace

1st Edition

Rethinking Work Essays on Building a Better Workplace

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Description

This collection of brief essays by thought-leaders, scholars, activists, psychologists, and social scientists imagines new workplace structures and policies that promote decent and fair work for all members of society, especially those who are most vulnerable. The world of work has been deteriorating for decades and the very institution of work needs to be systematically understood, critiqued, reimagined, and rebuilt. This book offers thoughtful suggestions for new work arrangements, individual strategies for enhancing one’s work life, and recommendations for innovative systemic and institutional reforms. The collection offers critical analyses in conjunction with constructive solutions on rebuilding work, providing direction and context for ongoing debates and policy discussions about work. The book will be of interest to activists, policy makers, management and leaders, scholars, professionals, students, and general readers interested work-based reform efforts and social change.

Table of Contents

David L. Blustein is Professor and Golden Eagle Faculty Fellow in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College, Chestnut Hill. MA, USA. David is the author of The Psychology of Working: A New Perspective for Career Development, Counseling, and Public Policy and The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty and has been instrumental in developing psychology of working theory. Lisa Y. Flores is Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. She has published extensively on the career development of Latinx and women.

Critics' Reviews

"David Blustein and Lisa Flores have curated a remarkable collection of essays in which some of the world’s finest minds tackle one of the world’s most urgent questions: How can we make the modern workplace more humane and just? The voices and perspectives in this timely book will spark you to think bigger and will equip you with the ideas and practices to transform both workforce policies and your own work life." Daniel H. Pink , #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive ; When , and The Power of Regret "Blustein and Flores have given us an amazing gift in their edited book, Rethinking Work ; the gift of reimagination. This book intricately weaves together a tapestry of essays that reimagine our relationship to work, and introduce provocative possibilities about humanity at the center of work. The authors call readers to the metaphorical dinner table to speak to us from their hearts as they discuss implications of the current inflection point in the world of work and then invite us to step outside to have a fireside chat and wrestle with the questions raised at the table. If you are ready for out-of-the-box thinking to build a better workplace, this it!" Angela Byars-Winston is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA  and senior author of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report entitled The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM "This rich and compelling series of essays describes, prescribes, and proscribes policies and practices in the world of work. The authors portray the importance of work for a wide variety of populations, paying particular attention to the plight of oppressed and marginalized communities. But the contributors go far beyond describing the current state of affairs; they offer persuasive and practical recommendations for imagining thriving workplaces around the world. This magnificent book will enlighten the mind and empower the spirit to do better, to work better, and to live better. I highly recommend it to leaders, workers, students, and policy makers." Isaac Prilleltensky is the Mautner Endowed Chair in Community Well-Being at the University of Miami, USA , and co-author, with Ora Prilleltensky, of How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society "The answer to the common question "What do you do?" is usually one's occupation, because work is so fundamental to one's identity. Much deeper questions follow this basic one: "Can decent work be accessible and equitable for all?," "How are technology and globalization affecting the nature of jobs, education, and the labor market?," and "Who all are really benefiting from our work?" Rethinking Work: Essays on Building a Better Workplace provides refreshing expert insights to questions such as these. Moreover, discovering how chapters are usefully related in addressing workplace issues is, to me, as rewarding as the chapters in their own right." Fred Oswald , PhD., Professor and Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Science, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, USA "In light of the clear evidence that the institution of work is not working for individuals or society, this thoughtful and thought-provoking volume brings together voices from across the globe to reimagine a people-focused future of work. It is through imaginative exercises such as these that one sees a pathway to a more hopeful future of work—one that is built around the ideas of decency, dignity, equity, social justice, well-being, agency, and sustainability. This book is a must-read for students, scholars, workers, organizational leaders, policy-makers, and anyone looking to understand and positively impact the institution of work." Mindy Shoss , Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida, USA ; Honorary Professor, Australian Catholic University, Australia "By providing a sustained critique of the 'language', form and practice of work that includes a rich plethora of approaches and positions, Blustein and Flores do every policymaker, researcher, employer and employee an invaluable service. Rethinking Work: Essays on Building a Better Workplace introduces new, thought-provoking and challenging perspectives that resonate with the challenges the world currently faces. At a time of unemployment/underemployment, precarity, the Great Resignation, automation and marginalization, this book provides an much-needed antidote, mapping paths to a more just and honest world of work that serves the interests of all members of society." Rie Thomsen , Professor of Career Guidance, Aarhus University, Denmark "This very timely book presents a highly informative collection of chapters that explore the various topics that should be considered as we face the many changes, challenges, and opportunities of working in the present and future. Written by some of the leading scholars in the field, the chapters provide much-needed reflections to understand better key work and career development issues on how work can be meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable for all." Andreas Hirschi , Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland "This book represents a major contribution to the understanding of the evolution of work and the labor market in the post-COVID period. This contribution brings to light the profound transformations of work and the function of work in the lives of the most disadvantaged people across the globe. The book constitutes an important step in helping us to develop a global view on the nature of working in the 21 st century. The contributors, who represents many regions of the world, provide insights about various aspects of work, including racism and culture, inequalities, precarity, unemployment and underemployment, and technology. This must-have book provides readers with an in-depth knowledge of the major challenges that people face in our changing contemporary world." Valérie Cohen-Scali , INETOP-Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France "What lies ahead in the future of work, how will it change? How can we express ourselves and find value in being someone that works? Will the challenges of a strained work/life balance, race, ethnicity and gender forever weigh us down? What can be done so work can be decent and meaningful for all – is there a roadmap we can follow? I invite you to join me in learning from the experience and knowledge that permeates this book, from seasoned researchers and writers that study work and how it affects our lives. As I read, I learned about the challenges, we face but also about what can give hope. Can we be optimists? I think the answer from this book is an unequivocal yes!" Ingrid Bakke , Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Innland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway "In Rethinking Work: Essays on Building a Better Workplace , Blustein and Flores provide the perfect venue to reflect on the interrelated factors impacting the current state of work, while simultaneously providing a space to begin reimagining a world of work that is more just, equitable, and fulfilling for all. Indeed, the innovation strategies, ideas, models, and tools delineated in this volume offer a starting point for transforming a system that has created differential classes of workers—those who work for survival and those who work for self-determination—to a system that lifts up ALL workers as they survive and thrive in healthier workspaces. There is no doubt that this volume of work will guide future research, training, organizational structures, management strategies, and public policy that will transform the world of work for the better." Rachel L. Navarro , Ph.D., Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of North Dakota, USA " Rethinking Work: Essays on Building a Better Workplace is a wonderful collection of essays focusing on how we might reimagine work to help people and society thrive. The book is organized around seven critical themes, in which scholars and practitioners discuss the function and changing nature of work, inequalities and precariousness, race and culture, policy issues, and the role of technology. It is impressive how David Blustein and Lisa Flores have brought together these thought-provoking and highly relevant discussions that help us imagine a long-term sustainable workforce. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in a contextualized and hopeful view of modern work and careers." Jos Akkermans , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Essay Samples on Workplace

Exploration of the importance of safety in the workplace.

Safety in the workplace is more than just a legal obligation; it is a fundamental responsibility that impacts the well-being of employees, the success of organizations, and the overall work environment. Prioritizing safety not only prevents accidents and injuries but also fosters a culture of...

The Importance of Trust in Building Strong Workplace Relationships

Trust is built on consistency as we interact with different kinds of individuals and build relationships with them based on desire behaviors and attitudes. A lack of trust leads to the desire to control a situation oneself as you believe the only person you can...

  • Organizational Culture

Why Being Respectful to Your Co-Workers is Good For Business

As a worker at the bakery I decide to share my personal experience and reflection on statement which says: 'being respectful to your co-workers is goog for business', here in my essay.  At my current job, there are a few examples of incivility that I...

Summer Placement Experience: Working in the Planning Sector

The summer placement provided by the university was a great opening for me to learn about the real-life situations occurring in the planning industry. Accordingly, to suit my schedule, I did a full-time based internship starting from 17th December 2019 until 11th February 2020 (i.e.,...

  • Personal Experience

Work Experience Placement: Preparation for Work With Vulnerable Children

I will do my work experience placement in a nursery while working one-on-one with children with special needs. Patience is one of the abilities I will need during my stay at St. Baranabas Nursery. Patience is essential when working with children with special needs because...

  • Work Experience

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Sexism in the Workplace: Nowadays Outcomes of 20th Centure

Women’s rights all throughout the twentieth century was a constant battle of getting the right to vote, making choices for their own bodies and allowing themselves to choose what happens to their life. A large factor that has contributed to women’s rights, especially during World...

  • Gender Inequality

Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places and Work Areas

This argumentative essay on smoking in public places explores the topic of smoking bans and the role of public health monitoring in controlling this social problem. Public health monitoring is a regular collection of data on components of health aimed to inform the public of...

  • Smoking Ban

The Role of Interpersonal Relationships in the Workplace

The relationship between a manager and employee is a crucial building block to a fortified and functioning work environment. More specifically, if a manager can find a way to bridge the gap between themselves, and their employees, they can find ways to motivate and ultimately...

  • Interpersonal Relationship

Protecting Productivity: Cause and Effect of Workplace Stress

Stress is not a good sign for employee and for the organization as it results in poor performance, lower productivity, poor morale and many more. Especially in the housekeeping department employees tend to worry a lot because of the time the customer’s check - out...

  • Stress Management

Undeniable Role of Work Environment in Manufacturing Sector

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labour to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed...

  • Corporate Culture
  • Manufacturing

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace, Does It Exist In Lebanon

What is sexual harassment in the workplace? What actions count as sexual harassment? Is it considered a crime? What legitimate conducts can be applied if someone was exposed to sexual harassment? Sexual harassment does not necessarily mean sex. It is about having control over the...

  • Sexual Harassment
  • Workplace Violence

Bad Behaviour in Workplace and Solution of Its Reducing

In this essay I am going discuss about why a person may engage in bad behaviour at work and what organisations can do to manage bad behaviour. There are many ways where employee behaves badly in workplace. Bad behaviour could be caused by stress level,...

  • Organizational Behavior

Gamification and Motivation at Workplace

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The Power of Healthy Relationships at Work

by Emma Seppälä and Nicole K. McNichols

essay about workplace

Summary .   

Research shows that leaders who prioritize relationships with their employees and lead from a place of positivity and kindness simply do better, and company culture has a bigger influence on employee well-being than salary and benefits. When it comes to cultivating happiness at work, it comes down to fostering positive relationships at work. Citing research from the field of social psychology, the authors outline five core principles that make all relationships, personal or professional, thrive: 1) transparency and authenticity, 2) inspiration, 3) emotional intelligence, 4) self-care, and 5) values.

Kushal Choksi was a successful Wall Street quant who had just entered the doors of the second twin tower on 9/11 when it got hit. As Choksi describes in his best-selling book, On a Wing and a Prayer , his brush with death was a wakeup call. Having mainly focused on wealth acquisition before 9/11, he began to question his approach to work.

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Writing a Teamwork Essay: Importance, Examples, Topics

The picture provides introductory information about a teamwork essay.

Never underestimate the importance of teamwork: every great project needs several people to accomplish it. The ability to work in a team is helpful in studies, in the workplace, and even in communication with friends and family. We are sure that you have had an opportunity to work in a team and noticed the benefits of collaboration.

A paper on teamwork is a great opportunity both for research and reflecting on your experience. This article will give you some writing prompts, essay topics, and samples on teamwork. Let’s start!

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork
  • Teamwork Roles and Responsibilities
  • The Importance of Teamwork in School
  • The Importance of Teamwork at Work

📚 90 Teamwork Essay Topics

📝 3 teamwork essay examples, 💡 essay about teamwork: writing prompts.

Are you wondering what to write in a teamwork essay?

Use the prompts below. Each of them covers a specific theme that you can include in your essay. Develop one idea if you have to write a 100-word paper. If the word limit is more extensive, use several of them.

1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork

Teamwork has several advantages and disadvantages. They are essential to consider to reach maximum productivity.

Let’s take a look at the advantages that you can discuss in your essay about teamwork:

  • Brainstorming in a team is a great tool that helps to produce more ideas.
  • Team members altogether possess more skills than one person.
  • You can learn new things from other team members.

And here are the disadvantages:

  • There can be an unequal division of work which provokes conflicts.
  • You need to spend time on various discussions that might go off-topic.
  • Decision-making becomes a more complex process and takes more time.

2. Teamwork Roles and Responsibilities

Each team member has a position according to which they are responsible for different functions.

Here are three typical roles in a team:

  • Leader . It is the person who provides the whole team with the instructions and resources needed to achieve the result.
  • Active participant . These team members are good at performing the assigned tasks. They might be specialists in particular spheres or possess the general knowledge that the team needs.
  • Analyzer . When a team needs to make an important decision, an analyzer is always ready to provide knowledge. They inform team participants about possible outcomes and potential pitfalls.

If you have experience with any of these roles, describe it in your paper. For example, it can be an essay on teamwork and leadership if you have been a leader in a team.

3. The Importance of Teamwork in School

Children need to develop their skills of working in a team from an early age. This develops their ability to cooperate in the future.

Let’s focus on the psychological benefits of teamwork for children:

  • Socialization. Children learn how to communicate efficiently. They become active listeners and speak their minds.
  • Creativity. Brainstorming, sharing ideas, and completing challenging tasks stimulate imagination and intelligence.
  • Leadership. Working in a team boosts children’s self-confidence and management skills.
  • Healthy competition. It helps children to succeed later in life and not to be afraid of challenges.
  • Support and responsibility. Teamwork is an excellent way to learn the balance between helping others and accomplishing own tasks.

4. The Importance of Teamwork in the Workplace

Working in a team towards a mutual goal is an essential part of the corporate culture. However, it might be a challenge for many people.

Discuss the problems that might occur in a team of professionals. Offer your solutions or explain the causes.

Here is what you can describe in an essay on teamwork in the workplace:

  • What are the effects of working under pressure?
  • What are the ways to solve conflicts among team members?
  • How to plan work and meet deadlines?
  • Division of responsibilities in a team.
  • The efficiency of team-building activities.
  • KPIs that measure a team’s efficiency.
  • Covid-19 pandemic effects on the organization of teamwork at the workplace.

The picture introduces four interesting topics for an essay about teamwork.

And here are some teamwork essay topic examples. These titles apply to essays of any difficulty . You can use them for class 5 or 6 papers and college assignments as well.

Let’s choose the best one for you:

  • Self-managed teams: Benefits and drawbacks.
  • Why children need to learn how to work in a team.
  • Describe your understanding of leadership in a team.
  • Describe your best experience of working in a group.
  • Complementary skills for management teams.
  • Managing teams within an organization.
  • Is teamwork or individual work more productive for you?
  • Effective team and performance management on the Everest.
  • How to motivate a team to achieve better results.
  • The approaches to teamwork in the workplace in big multinational companies.
  • Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams.
  • What psychological factors determine the success of a team?
  • Project manager performance and team efficiency.
  • How can you find out what team role suits you best?
  • Technology in distributed project management teams.
  • A team culture as an aspect of cooperative learning.
  • Have you ever had an unsuccessful experience working in a group?
  • Sharpening the team mind and team decision making.
  • How many people should be in a perfect team?
  • The responsibilities of a project manager in a team.
  • Drum Circles as the way to build a strong team.
  • The importance of teamwork in competitive sports.
  • Leadership: Important keys for an effective team leader.
  • Can a team be successful if there are two natural leaders?
  • Virtual and global project teams management.
  • Importance of members’ personality type for team’s effectiveness.
  • The art of task delegation in big teams.
  • What is the role of proper communication among team members?
  • How to choose the right people for your team.
  • Teams and individual motivation in project management.
  • Cross-functional teams: Enhancing workforce diversity.
  • Can one person spoil the workflow of a whole team?
  • High performance project teams and management.
  • Is it better to establish professional or friendly communication within a team?
  • Effective organisational development and team building.
  • Describe your first experience of working in a team.
  • Importance of communication, development, and learning in teams.
  • What is the best example of successful teamwork?
  • Does teamwork make your life easier or more complicated?
  • Effectively managing virtual teams and teamwork.
  • Conflict in the Human Services Coordination Team.
  • Is working in a team harder for remote employees?
  • Effective team leadership: Empowering others.
  • Describe your dream team for one of your projects.
  • How to make sure that every team member has the same workload?
  • What skills have you developed while working in a team?
  • Management terms: Team and group.
  • Effective teams: Team learning and organizational outcomes.
  • Describe working with team members who live in different time zones.
  • Team teaching and curriculum delivery.
  • Building a virtual team: Definition and factors of successes.
  • Do deadlines stimulate teams to work better?
  • The role of teamwork in the healthcare industry.
  • The reasons why collaboration is essential for college students.
  • Groups and teams in the workforce.
  • What is the essential lesson teamwork has taught you?
  • Team performance criteria and threats to productivity.
  • Strategies for building effective teams.
  • What are the main advantages and disadvantages of teamwork?
  • How to deal with conflicts in a team?
  • Is it possible for introverts to successfully work in a team?
  • Teams’ development, communication, and learning.
  • Describe your worst experience of working in a team.
  • Sport psychology: Female volleyball team.
  • What skills do you need to be a good team member?
  • Teams and team working: Organizational behavior.
  • The main types of teamwork in medical school.
  • What are the ways to measure the productivity of team members?
  • The role of collaboration in startups and small businesses.
  • Groups and teams: Organizational behaviour and management.
  • Describe a current project that you work on with a team.
  • Creating and effectively managing a virtual team.
  • How often do you work in a team?
  • Importance of motivation in teamwork.
  • Tell about a problem that you solved working in a team.
  • The factors that define healthy leadership.
  • What is your typical role in a team?
  • The role of team building and interpersonal skills.
  • The importance of collaboration in a family.
  • Effective team development.
  • Is it difficult for you to work with new people?
  • The best team-building activities at work.
  • How to establish friendly and productive communication in a team?
  • Team management strategies and techniques.
  • Does multitasking make teamwork more or less effective?
  • Management: Power distance effects on team performance.
  • The role of emotional intelligence in collaboration.
  • The impact of leadership styles and skills on teams.
  • How to choose people who will work in your team?
  • Leadership in a team-based organization.

And now it’s time to read our teamwork essay examples. You can use them as a reference for long and short papers. Just pay attention to the structure.

Essay on Teamwork and Leadership

I had never thought I was a leader until my first experience working in a group. We had to develop a project on sustainability for our biology class. I had the most knowledge in this sphere, so I became the leader of the team. This experience taught me to delegate tasks, solve unexpected problems, and be an active listener. Even if you know how to do something well, you need to be able to delegate. We were sewing tote bags for shopping. Although I am good at drawing, I assigned print design to my friend. She did the task well, and I had an opportunity to focus on cloth choice and sewing. I know that it would have been so much longer if I had done everything myself. Another challenging moment of working in a team is that the number of potential issues grows with the number of people. One of our boys got sick. I had to divide his responsibilities among the other team members, so everyone got an equal part. If you work in a team, you need to be ready to listen and take notes. As a leader of the group, I was responsible for making a final decision on each thought. Great ideas might be unexpected, and you never know who can come up with the next one. It happened on so many occasions in our team. We created our logo, chose the best materials and designs only because of the ability to support and respect each other’s ideas. In conclusion, I like the role of the leader of a team as I learned many things. I became better at managing others’ responsibilities, reacting to emerging issues, and observing others’ ideas. I look forward to further teamwork to improve these and other skills.

Essay on School Teamwork

You cannot just spend all your student years and not collaborate with others. There are times when you have to work in a team. It might be a group project or just someone’s initiative to do homework together. Teamwork is essential at school as it enables students to work on more significant projects, boosts creativity, and engages in the studying process. Several people can accomplish more than one person within the same timeframe. Besides, each team member has a different spectrum of knowledge and skills. More heads allow you to have more ideas and perform more tasks as a team. That is why companies hire new people to become more successful. Brainstorming is an excellent tool for developing new ideas. One student can have a good thought, while another one can make an action plan out of it. Being able to absorb and analyze each other’s opinions makes your mind more open to new ideas. In other words, it makes you more creative. Society is a person’s natural need. It is always more interesting to study with others. Even if you don’t have much motivation to examine a particular issue, you still learn it while communicating. It was always easier for me to listen to a person than to read a book. Teamwork motivates students to discuss their visions and thoughts, which makes them more involved. School is not only about books and formulas. It is also a place where you learn how to cooperate with other people. Eventually, you see that you can achieve more, broaden your outlook, and have more motivation to study with a good team.

Essay on Teamwork in the Workplace

Every great product is an achievement of teamwork. But how do you know that a team will be successful? There is no playbook as each case is unique, but several components are necessary for effective collaboration. The main factors that define a good team in the workplace are its diversity, efficient communication, and clearly defined responsibilities. It is beneficial for a team if the members have different backgrounds and are proficient in different areas of expertise. It helps to see complex problems from various angles and choose the best solutions. People who possess different strengths choose their roles in a team according to them. Of course, all the skills need to be relevant to the goal of the team. There should be no misunderstandings or communication delays. If something is not one hundred percent clear, it is better to ask additional questions to avoid making mistakes. Working in one place makes communication faster and more accessible for all the participants. That is why regular meetings and quick responses are a must for every team. When everyone knows what they are responsible for, there are fewer conflicts. It is vital to ensure that every team member does what they are good at without interfering with others’ tasks. Teamwork also involves the individual work of each participant that requires deep focus and no distraction. The best solution is to define the members’ responsibilities at the very beginning. Teamwork is essential if you aim to create something meaningful. You need people who will work as hard as you towards a mutual goal. Each particular case requires a specific approach, but certain things are always the same. If you want to do your best as a team, make sure the people you choose have different skills, establish fast communication, and provide them with clear areas of responsibility.
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Work and Career Essays

essay about workplace

Reducing the Working Week

by Hayder Ahmed (Leeds, UK)

The length of the working week does not reflect modern lifestyle needs. It should be substantially reduced to give people more leisure time and time with their families. How far do you agree with this statement? Day by day, the life is becoming more complex and very difficult and people work for long time in every day. It is agreed that the number of working day in a weak should be reduced to give workers more free time with their families. Analysing both difficulty and complexity of life nowadays as well as people work hard for long time will show this. Firstly, today, the life is complex and people spend a long time working very hard without a rest time. For instance, people work from the beginning of morning to the end of evening very hard. When they back to their home, they might be tired and stressful. Therefore, people can not find a free time to talk and discuss with their families and spend enjoyable time with them. Thus, this makes it clear why people need for more free time every week. Secondly, as people work hardly for a long time during a working day, they might be stress and their health could be not good. For example, when workers do their job, they will be standing all the time and sometime doing hard without a rest time. Thus, their body could be very tired and in a bad condition and this routine continues every day. From this, it becomes quiet evident that why decreasing the number of working day is important for people health. In summary, people are working very hard for long time. Therefore, their health condition could be bad and they do not spend more time with their families. Thus, it is clear why the idea of increasing the number of working day can not be supported. After analysing this subject, it is predicted that the drawbacks of working a long time without rest more than benefits. (295 words) ***** I'd appreciate some feedback for my essay on work and careers.

Working Part-time while at High School

Some high (secondary) school students work part-time while some do not, instead just focusing on their studies. What are the advantages and disadvantages of part-time jobs for high school students? Many high school students take up jobs in their free time. Some parents discourage their teenagers from working while studying. Both these cases have good and bad points. The students who take up part-time jobs become responsible. A job brings them income by which they get spending power. For example, a teen who works can use his money to buy his own text-books, pay for his lunch at the canteen, and also purchase personal things for himself. This reduces the burden on their parents especially in low-income families. These high school kids learn to spend wisely and hence tend to practice the art of saving for a future need. There are also drawbacks of getting themselves employment. They can get distracted from their studies. This can happen because a student may want to put in more hours of work in order to earn more cash. As a result, he will spend more time working and less time focusing on his educational side. Another downside is that with money power in his hands, he could easily fall prey to bad habits like gambling, drugs and smoking. This can lead to destruction of his academics and ultimately destroy his future career. Different homes are different when it comes to their financial state. Hence, low income groups might prefer if their children make a small earning to support themselves. However, high society people may not be in favor that their offspring gets employed as they feel it is below their status and , besides they can fund their teens.

Not Paying Taxes Essay

Some people believe that they should be able to keep all the money they earn, and should not have to pay tax to the state. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Every citizen have to pay a amount of their income. Countries implement changeable income taxes that generally depends on people`s rich rate. You will be seen end of the this Essay, how we are returning paid taxes by government. We use money every moment of our life for buying necessary things such an food, drinks and other costs to survive our life. And this provided product to us is controlling by government. There are massive official that they are working to supply our needs behind of this process. Those officials earn money from our taxes. On the other hand, governments have very large of responsibilities on own citizens such a security, relationship with other countries that is for giving right when they left their country, service that is for every sector to survive their life. To sup up, we have to pay taxes for this a lot of wheel can work. It is obligated rule for all citizens. Likely there are strict rules that someone reduce to pay income taxes , government do punish by fine or imprisonment .

IELTS Essay: Motivation to Stay in the Workforce

by storm (Bangladesh)

There are several factors that motivate people to stay in the workforce, and money is the most important. To what extent do you agree or disagree? There are lots of factor that impel peoples stay in the workforce where salary is the main reason for it. Well, I disagree with this point and I believe and think that job satisfaction is much more important than money this essay will explain why is that. First of all, I believe that job satisfaction can give a person fulfillness whereas money can not guarantee that. Even if a person gets highly payment for his job however it does not bring happiness for him. He feels stressed and compromise his consciousness for his job. That person will be in depression and end up leaving that job sooner or later cause it does not bring any enthusiasm towards the job, he is doing it just to sake for the salary. Secondly, when you have freedom and like what you do it keeps you motivated and leads you to career growth. Its is said that those love their job they can easily excel in their field or work than who puts salary in their job first. For example, I love what I do for living which gives me urge to do more and more but the salary is not as it expected but there are lots opportunities and facilities which helps me do my task easily. On the other hand, my friends work for a company where she gets highly pay for her job but she is not happy what she does in the end. She is doing the job because of the money. She stays depressed most of the time because of the job and she think about leaving it. In conclusion, I strongly believe job satisfaction is more important and essential than money. Job satisfaction gives better career growth and happiness.

IELTS Essay: Professionals Moving Abroad to Work

by Kaan (Ankara)

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion. Some people opine that experts such as doctors and engineers, must be limited to work in the country where they did their training. On the other hand, others think that they should be free to work in another country if they wish. However, I strongly believe that professionals should be free to work abroad. First, in my opinion, they cannot make a restriction on working conditions, it is not fair and it is against human rights. Because governments may not support doctors and engineers, if governments do not wish to. In this type of situation, people do not have many opportunities, and they may want to work in another country. On the other hand, maybe there is an economic crisis, and they can be affected by inflation. For instance in my country majority of engineers and doctors travel to other countries to work and also live because of inflation, unemployment and the hardship of earning good salaries. Another reason is bad working conditions. The value which has given to humans is less than another countries. Some people think the burden of high responsibilities causes stress in our country. People are bored with these types of issues. As a result, I believe that important people such as engineers and doctors should be free to work and live in another country if they wish because of economic problems, awful working conditions, low salaries, much stress and unemployment.

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What is a Great Workplace? essay

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Reflection Paper on Work Experience

How it works

Work experience is super valuable and gives you real-world insights that you can’t get from books. It helps you grow both personally and professionally. In this essay, I’m gonna talk about how work experience impacts skill development, understanding workplace dynamics, and career growth. I’ll also share some study findings to highlight how important work experience is in shaping your career path.

  • 1 Skill Development and Competence
  • 2 Understanding Workplace Dynamics
  • 3 Career Progression and Opportunities
  • 4 Conclusion

Skill Development and Competence

One of the big pluses of work experience is that it helps you develop skills.

A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 91% of employers prefer hiring grads with relevant work experience over those with just academic qualifications (NACE, 2020). That shows how important it is to learn by doing, since schools don’t always teach the practical stuff.

Work experience helps you develop both hard and soft skills. Hard skills, like technical know-how and industry-specific knowledge, get better through hands-on tasks. For example, if you intern at an engineering firm, you get to apply what you learned in class to real projects, which boosts your technical skills. Soft skills, like communication, teamwork, and solving problems, improve when you interact with coworkers and clients. A LinkedIn survey showed that 92% of hiring managers think soft skills are just as important, if not more, than hard skills (LinkedIn, 2019). So, work experience gives you a well-rounded skill set that’s needed in the professional world.

Understanding Workplace Dynamics

Aside from gaining skills, work experience helps you understand how workplaces function. Being in a professional setting lets you see how organizations work, including their cultures, hierarchies, and rules. This helps you get used to the norms and expectations of the workplace, making it easier to move from school to a job.

Research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that internships and cooperative education programs are key in helping students understand workplace dynamics. The study found that 84% of participants felt they had a better grasp of organizational behavior and could navigate workplace politics better (SHRM, 2018). This shows how work experience can help you thrive in different professional environments.

Work experience also boosts your emotional intelligence, which is crucial for working well with others. Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, empathy, and adaptability—traits you need for teamwork. A study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that people with higher emotional intelligence handle workplace stress better and build good relationships with colleagues (Goleman, 2017). This link between work experience and emotional intelligence shows how practical exposure helps you develop holistically.

Career Progression and Opportunities

Work experience has a huge impact on career progression. Data shows a strong link between work experience and employability. A study by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) found that grads with relevant work experience were much more likely to get a job within six months of graduating compared to those without it (HESA, 2019). This highlights the competitive edge work experience gives you in the job market.

Work experience also opens doors for networking, which is key for career growth. Professional networks help you find job openings, get mentorship, and gain industry insights. A Harvard Business Review survey found that 85% of jobs are filled through networking instead of traditional job applications (Harvard Business Review, 2020). This shows how important it is to build professional relationships through work experience.

Moreover, work experience helps you figure out your career goals. Trying out different roles and industries helps you make informed decisions about your career path. A study by Career Development Quarterly found that people who did internships had clearer career goals and more confidence in their chosen fields (CDQ, 2019). This alignment of goals with real-world experience leads to more fulfilling and purpose-driven careers.

In summary, work experience is crucial for personal and professional growth. It helps you develop skills, understand workplace dynamics, and advance in your career. The studies and insights in this essay show the many benefits of work experience, emphasizing its essential role in shaping your career path. As the job market keeps changing, the value of real-world learning remains important, highlighting the need to stay engaged with professional environments for overall growth and career success.

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The New York Times

Magazine | the reckoning: women and power in the workplace, the reckoning: women and power in the workplace.

DEC. 13, 2017

Essays and art from Jenna Wortham, Ruth Franklin, Vivian Gornick, Parul Sehgal, Heidi Julavits, Paula Scher, Olivia Locher, Amber Vittoria and more.

essay about workplace

The Reckoning Women and Power in the Workplace

By THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE DEC. 15, 2017

As revelations of sexual harassment break, women have been discussing the fallout and how to move forward. Here, women from across the working world take on this complicated conversation.

We Were Left Out

By Jenna Wortham

“Revolution will come in a form we cannot yet imagine,” the critical theorists Fred Moten and Stefano Harney wrote in their 2013 essay “The Undercommons,” about the need to radically upend hierarchical institutions. I thought of their prophecy in October, when a private document listing allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by dozens of men in publishing and media surfaced online.

The list — a Google spreadsheet initially shared exclusively among women, who could anonymously add to it — was created in the immediate aftermath of reports about sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein. The atmosphere among female journalists was thick with the tension of watching the press expose the moral wrongs of Hollywood while neglecting to interrogate our own. The existence of the list suggested that things were worse than we even imagined, given all that it revealed. It was horrifying to see the names of colleagues and friends — people you had mingled with at parties and accepted drinks from — accused of heinous acts.

A few days after the list appeared, I was in a van with a half dozen other women of color, riding through the desert on our way to a writing retreat. All of us worked in media; most of us had not realized the extent to which harassment polluted our industry. Whisper networks, in which women share secret warnings via word of mouth, require women to tell others whom to avoid and whom to ignore. They are based on trust, and any social hierarchy is rife with the privilege of deciding who gets access to information. Perhaps we were perceived as outsiders, or maybe we weren’t seen as vulnerable. We hadn’t been invited to the happy hours or chats or email threads where such information is presumably shared. The list was F.T.B.T. — for them, by them — meaning, by white women about their experiences with the white men who made up a majority of the names on it. Despite my working in New York media for 10 years, it was my first “whisper” of any kind, a realization that felt almost as hurtful as reading the acts described on the list itself.

As a young business reporter, no one told me about the New York investor known for luring women out to meals under the guise of work. I found out the hard way. I realized he was a habitual boundary-crosser only after The New York Observer reported on him in 2010. Most recently, after I complained in a media chat room about a man who harassed a friend at a birthday party, everyone chimed in to say that he was a known creep. I was infuriated. That information never made its way to me, and worse, it was taken as a given. Was keeping that secret hidden worth the trauma it caused my friend?

The list’s flaws were immediately apparent. It felt too public, volatile and vulnerable to manipulation. But its recklessness was born out of desperation. It detonated the power and labor dynamics that whisper networks reinforce. Information, once privileged to a select few, became decentralized and accessible to all. And the problem of sexual harassment no longer belonged solely to women to filter and share.

Once the list leaked beyond its initial audience and men became aware of it, it was effectively shut down. But who knows what would have happened if it lasted longer? Maybe a better mechanism for warning and reporting harassment could have been finessed; it’s clear we still need one. Even now, amid the torrent of reports of sexual misconduct, women of color are conspicuously absent. It’s still not safe enough for many of us to name our abusers in public.

But during the initial hours after the list’s publication, when it still felt secret, for women only, I moved through the world differently. The energy in the air felt charged, like after the siren goes off in the “Purge” movies. A friend compared the feeling to the final scenes of “V for Vendetta.” She liked seeing women as digital vigilantes, knowing that men were scared. I did, too. I wanted every single man put on notice, to know that they, too, were vulnerable because women were talking. Maybe, within that, we glimpsed the possibility of a new world order, like the one Moten and Harney gestured at. The list was not long for this world, but it might have lived long enough to prove its point.

essay about workplace

Just Like the Movies

By Ruth Franklin

“My natural tendency is to observe, not to ask questions,” I wrote in my journal during the spring of my senior year of high school. I had just started a six-week internship at a local newspaper, and it wasn’t going well. At 16, I knew I wanted to be a writer, and journalism seemed the obvious route. But my natural shyness held me back.

One day at the diner where all the reporters hung out, my supervisor introduced me to a colleague. “This is a famous man,” she said with more than a touch of sarcasm. Thirty-two years old and stocky as a bantam rooster, he had shaggy black hair and intense eyes. I recognized his byline — he had just published an article about an elderly eccentric that detoured through his own obsessions, from the bluesmen of the Mississippi Delta to the traces of his childhood.

We talked about ghosts and the poetry of Octavio Paz. He gave me one of his own short stories to read and seemed to care what I thought. Soon I was accompanying him around town in his cluttered hatchback on the hunt for local characters. I thought I had finally found a model to emulate. “Maybe I have reporter potential after all,” I wrote.

On those car rides, we talked about writing but also about our personal lives. I was an alienated teenager, feverish to graduate and leave my family behind. He was divorced with young kids and working hard to support them. Sometimes when we were sitting next to each other, he pressed his arm against mine. On a picnic in a city park where more than a few passers-by recognized him, he confessed that he was infatuated with me. All that restrained him, he said, was my age. His sexual energy was palpable and a little bit terrifying. I wasn’t attracted to him physically, and I told him so. But I was entranced by his independent-mindedness, his nostalgic longing for an earlier age, even his affectations. More than that, he seemed to believe in my potential as a writer.

He often recommended books and movies, but one in particular sticks with me: “Manhattan,” perhaps the most notorious depiction of one of Woody Allen’s favorite paradigms, the pairing of an older man and a much younger woman. The parallels between our situation and this fable of romance between a divorced writer (Isaac) and a high school student (Tracy) couldn’t have been more obvious. But I was struck by the movie’s falseness. The script requires Tracy to be the ardent one, continually pressing Isaac for a commitment he won’t offer. (Indeed, midway through the film he dumps her, to his later regret, for a journalist closer to his age.) Yet Mariel Hemingway portrays Tracy as perfectly blank, her moonlike face virtually without expression, even in the most emotional scenes. The film is only about Isaac: his needs and desires. If Tracy is entertaining questions or doubts beneath the surface, we’re not privy to them.

At the time, I would have sworn that what was happening between me and this reporter was consensual. Now, more than 25 years later, I understand more clearly how incompletely the idea of consent conveys the complexity of such a dynamic. Yes, I flirted with him and enjoyed the power of knowing that he desired me. But in the end I needed him more than he needed me, because he offered something I wasn’t finding elsewhere. For a brief period, he gave me confidence. As his behavior became more aggressive — putting his hand on my leg, asking to kiss me — I started to pull away. He reacted with anger and petulance, and things between us curdled. A few years later, he depicted me in a story published in a popular anthology as a spoiled, haughty Jewish-American princess who is the subject of crude sexual fantasies.

The stories we tell ourselves aren’t just entertainment; books and movies — still more often by men — work to establish archetypes for romantic relationships. They constitute our personal and cultural mythology and are essential to the way we understand our world. A man whose interest is piqued by a 16-year-old girl has a ready-made formula for how that relationship might proceed. The very fact that such a model exists offers tacit permission for him to treat his wants as valid. For the girl who tries to enter the story on her own terms, there are two models: the receptive vessel or the Lolita-like temptress. Ambivalence and fear simply don’t enter into it.

I’m now more than 10 years older than this man was when we met. I’ve worked in journalism for close to two decades. But I spent the early years of my career anxious, questioning, in search of a validation that I couldn’t define. That wasn’t only his fault — I was primed to respond to him the way I did by things that happened long before he came around. Still, the power imbalance in our relationship led me, however unconsciously, to continue seeking legitimation in a man’s eyes. I don’t regret those afternoons driving around town, listening to him ask questions, watching him take notes: They’re part of my story as a writer. But I wish that he, as the adult in the room, had looked past his emotions to consider what would have been best for me, an impressionable teenager who admired him and craved his instruction and his approval, if not his affections. And I wish that my intellectual formation hadn’t had to be so inextricably entwined with a man’s assessment of my value.

essay about workplace

When the Fog Lifts

By Meghan O’Rourke

When I became sick with a mysterious illness nearly a decade ago, doctors kept telling me nothing was wrong. I lived for years in a fog not only of pain but also of self-doubt, questioning my own perceptions. It is difficult to articulate how distorting this fundamental distrust of your own subjectivity is, how distorting it was to accommodate myself to a hobbled, painful reality. When my illness was finally named by a physician, my world changed: It could be addressed. And just as important, I no longer felt that my grasp on reality was tenuous.

The conversations I’ve had with my female friends in the weeks since widespread allegations of sexual abuse and harassment have come out — by text messages, over drinks, while minding young children toddling in and out of the kitchen — have circled around a contradiction: We knew, and yet we didn’t know; we were sure, and yet we doubted ourselves. For years, we lived in a climate of uncertainty created by the routine institutional denial that harassment was taking place, actions that went unnamed and dismissed, the scores of “open secrets” in plain sight yet not seen. Then, overnight, it seemed, a shift in our accounting took place. We’d been returned to a shared reality.

We think of our perceptions as being uniquely our own — the very stuff that makes us distinctive individuals. But perception is more dependent on a fine social web of recognition than we like to think. And when it came to sexual harassment, we were, in a sense, all guilty of participating in what social psychologists call the bystander effect, in which people are less likely to offer help to someone in distress if there are other people present, especially if the others are passive. In one striking 1968 study, subjects filled out a questionnaire in a room slowly filling with smoke. When alone, 75 percent of subjects reported smelling smoke. But when “two passive confederates” of the experimenters were planted in the room and behaved as if nothing were wrong, only 10 percent of the subjects reported smelling the smoke or left the room. (Shockingly, nine of 10 subjects “kept working on the questionnaire they were given, rubbed their eyes and waved smoke out of their faces,” the Socially Psyched website recounts.)

In groups, we watch to see what others do and follow suit. By its nature, sexual harassment depends on a social agreement about where we draw lines and how we interpret injury. It wasn’t until the 1980s that “unwelcome sexual advances” and the creation of a “hostile or offensive work environment” came to be considered illegal under the federal protections that derive from Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which legislates against discrimination on the basis of sex, race and religion. “Unwelcome,” “hostile”: These adjectives are by definition descriptive — dependent on a consensus of shared reality, evaluated legally on a case-by-case basis. And a shared reality is, sadly, just what so many of us know that we don’t have, even now. In an encounter between two people, the shadows of subjectivity always determine how the light looks: bright and revealing, or dark and eerie. And when it comes to encounters in the workplace, there are genuine questions of scale, lines in the sand to draw — what is just a clumsy pass? What is actual harassment?

This moment of reckoning has helped women who have been victimized — even in subtle ways — name what had been happening to them; at the same time, it has made the most culpable bystanders feel less certain — a productive redistribution of uncertainty, possibly. Many people, especially men, are asking themselves if they are complicit in what has been taking place and examining their own past behavior to see whether they have ever made a woman uncomfortable. There are, after all, two kinds of uncertainty: the self-doubt created by withheld truths and the self-doubt created by a genuine need to re-evaluate. It may not be such a bad thing if more men walk through the world feeling that they don’t have all the answers.

essay about workplace

‘Nobody wants to be a Rat’

As told to Kathy Dobie by a Police Detective

In the 20-plus years I’ve been on the job, our department has truly changed. When I first came on the job, it was awful. In the ’80s and early ’90s, the male police force really did not want women there; women were “ruining the L.A.P.D.” That sentiment was very strong. And if I had made a formal complaint, I would have been called your typical woman, you can’t trust her, she’s gonna roll on you, and then nobody wants to work with you, and it’s just the kiss of death.

There’s definitely a cultural shift that makes the men hired today who are in their 20s quite different. At the patrol level, I think guys and gals get along just fine. The biggest issue we have in terms of sexual harassment is that even though there are procedures for reporting, nobody really wants to do anything. Supervisors, the ombuds office, everyone just wants it to go away. “Well, you know, he didn’t mean anything by it; let’s just move on.” So things fester and then blow up. I’ve seen it over and over again. If you look at the lawsuits against the L.A.P.D., I think half the complaints are internal, not some outside person who got roughed up by the police. So they’ve been trying to teach us to report anything we see. The problem is nobody wants to be a rat.

I actually think the higher you rise among the ranks, the more likely you are to encounter harassment, because coveted positions are at play. If you look at our top-cop management, it’s still very male, and those guys have been around for a couple of decades. They came on in the ’70s or early ’80s, so they’re still carrying those attitudes. I’ll give you an example: There was a captain who got a woman promoted from Detective II to Detective III — a very coveted position. It was discovered through an internal-affairs investigation that she had performed sexual acts on him. That, to me, smells a lot like Hollywood: Hey, if you really want this part, you do certain things to me, and I can make it happen. Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Roy Moore or a captain at the L.A.P.D. — what do they all have in common? They have the ability to make or break lives. They hold the key to things that other people want, so I think that’s the common denominator; the psychology of that man is the same.

essay about workplace

Know Your Power

By Zoe Heller

I’m disappointed that the story has remained focused so squarely on the villainous doings of the metropolitan elites. I was never under any illusion that this was the beginning of the end of the patriarchy, but I had hopes that there would be more of a ripple effect, that we would begin hearing about sexual harassment and abuse in the farm industry, in fast food, in retail, in hotel housekeeping. It’s delightful that the chickens are coming home to roost for powerful old guys in the entertainment industry, and yet for large sections of the country, I suspect, the toppling of Harvey Weinstein and others has played less as a “Matrix moment” — a sudden unmasking of the country’s sexist power structures — than as an old-fashioned morality tale about debauched big-city snoots finally getting their comeuppance.

Instead of moving outward, much of the conversation among women on social media has been taken up with identifying and decrying lesser forms of male misconduct — dirty jokes, unsolicited shoulder massages, compliments on physical appearance. It is inevitable that in the great outpouring of female wrath, minor grievances, as well as major ones, should have emerged. And hostile work environments aren’t built on violent sexual assault alone. Nevertheless, we seem to have wound up spending an inordinate amount of time parsing the injurious effects of low-level lechery on relatively advantaged women. Part of the problem with these conversations is that the injuries sustained by a creepy comment or a lewd remark are largely subjective. It’s fine to demand that men stop being brutes, but it helps if there is some consensus on what qualifies as brutishness. As it turns out, my unexceptionable office banter is your horrifying insult, and your innocuous flirtation is another’s undermining insinuation. (I remember thinking guiltily during the Anita Hill hearings that a joke about a pubic hair on a Coke can didn’t sound that awful to me.) It seems neither likely nor desirable that we will succeed in banishing all sexual frisson from the workplace. And we know that many happy romances and marriages have originated on factory lines and in conference rooms. Given that the burden of making the first move traditionally lies with men, and given that it’s not always possible to gauge whether an advance is unwanted until someone makes it, there is good reason to question whether everything that is now being deemed misconduct has come from the same well of dastardly male entitlement.

An argument that has kept cropping up in recent weeks, one that will be familiar to those who have followed the debates about campus rape, is that even in the absence of force or explicit threat, the suggestive comments or sexual advances of a male colleague are implicitly coercive. A woman’s ability to register her opprobrium, or to say “No, thank you,” is always compromised by her fear of repercussions, or by her youth, or simply by her female impulse to placate. The danger with this a priori assumption of women’s diminished agency is that it ends up exaggerating female vulnerability. It casts women as fundamentally fragile beings, whose sexual assent, like that of minors, cannot be trusted to indicate true consent. It presents female passivity as natural. There’s no doubt that women, particularly younger ones, have a tendency to go along with things they don’t want to — to say yes when they really mean no — but that propitiatory tendency is not some incorrigible feature of the female character, any more than predation is the incorrigible inclination of men. And we do women a disservice by treating it as if it is. This is not about blaming the victim; it’s about pointing out to the potential victim that she has more power than she knows.

Several times in recent weeks, I’ve read and heard people asserting that older women like me, women who came of age before the Anita Hill hearings in 1991, are generally more accepting of sexual harassment and less sympathetic to women who complain about it. (This, it’s claimed, is because we grew up with lower expectations of male behavior and feel that the young should endure as stoically as we did.) I would characterize the generational divide differently. I think older women are, by and large, more reluctant to squander women’s hard-won right to sexual autonomy by characterizing themselves as helpless and in need of special protection. I think they are more likely to see “power dynamics” between individuals as complicated, fluid and not necessarily reducible to age and status differentials. I think they are also — although this is less a generational difference than a function of age — much better at telling men where to get off.

essay about workplace

Reawakened Rage

By Vivian Gornick

What is never properly understood by those who do not experience it is how deep the rage over inequality goes once it is made conscious, how far-reaching it can be and yes, how unforgiving. At the moment, the hated imbalance between women and men, the one that all men, everywhere, have exploited for centuries, is in the dock, and women in the thousands have risen up to bring charges against men of power with the crime of having looked not at them but through them for as long as any of them could remember. These women are not yet Madame Defarge knitting at the foot of the scaffold, but half a century of insufficient progress, on the score of sexual predation alone, now fills their heads with blood and leads them to lash out at its ongoing pervasiveness, branding men to the left and to the right with accusations that include acts of real evil as well as those of vulgar insensitivity. As James Baldwin might have put it, an oppressed people does not always wake up a saint; more often it wakes up a murderer.

For many of us, it is dismaying to behold, in a movement meant to correct for social injustice, the development of what can seem like vigilante politics; the dismay, in fact, is being accorded disproportionate attention, as though its existence is more important than what gave rise to it. But if we stop for a moment to think rather than react, we soon come to realize that the courageous demand that begins with a visionary’s declaration of rights can, and usually does, descend quickly into the maddened belligerence characteristic of those who cannot stop rehearsing a grievance that feels very old and reaches far into the past. That is the course history has usually taken, and for the moment, we in America are all trapped in its turmoil.

My generation of second-wave feminists discovered how hard it is to build a case for women’s rights from the inside out, how few approached with a wholeness of mind and heart the prospect of equality for women. Those of us in the 1970s and ’80s who said (and kept on saying) that the subordination of women had now become intolerable were often denounced as witches, bitches and worse: denatured fanatics staring into a vision of the future that would upend the world as we knew it. Our radicalism lay in declaring the risk well worth taking: a calculation society as a whole is never willing to act on; it must be driven to it. But we feminists were persuaded that the American democracy was not only healthy enough but also mature enough to give up the idea that men by nature take their brains seriously and women by nature do not. We were convinced that what today we saw by the hundreds would tomorrow surely be seen by the thousands, and the day after that by the millions. Only people of serious ill will or intellectual deficiency or downright political greed would oppose the obvious. And after all, how many of them could there be?

As the decades wore on, I began to feel on my skin the shock of realizing how slowly — how grudgingly! — American culture had actually moved, over these past hundred years, to include us in the much-vaunted devotion to egalitarianism. However many thousands of women continued to join our ranks, we kept hearing: “Love is the most important thing in a woman’s life; that’s just nature.” “Women can be good but never great (thinkers, artists, politicians); again: nature.” “Oh, I get it. You don’t want to marry the Great Man, you want to be the Great Man. How very unnatural.” “Whatever happened, she was asking for it.” I remember thinking: Who says such things to a human being the speaker considers as real as he is to himself? Who tells anyone that the wish to experience oneself to the fullest is unnatural? Who thinks it acceptable that a set of needs described as essential to anyone’s humanity be considered necessary for some but not for others? Who, indeed?

I soon came to feel — and I still feel — that social and political inequality is one of the worst burdens anyone can be made to shoulder. The sheer unfairness of it! The contempt inscribed in it. My own angry disbelief in those years swelled until I found myself copying out quotes from people like the Cromwellian soldier who, on the scaffold, said: I never could believe that some men were born booted and spurred and ready to ride, and others born saddled and ready to be ridden. I, too, was now willing to go to war.

It’s not necessarily true that only a social explosion can galvanize cultural change, but inevitably, in the face of the failure to act — the term “sexual harassment” is now almost 50 years old — that’s the way it feels when that rage reawakens. And the way it feels is now compelling a movement bent on making transparent (once again!) what it’s like to live, as a class of people, brutalized or ignored but either way socially invisible.

The silence imposed by that invisibility! For better or worse, only liberationist politics — loud, brash and bullying as it sometimes seems — has ever broken it. The pity of it all is that the silence returns as the inequities once again get swept under the rug, where they fester, and wait for the next moment when the rug will turn into a rock under which these wormlike suppressions have morphed into snakes that come out hissing, should the rock be turned over.

essay about workplace

‘A Purge Is Coming’

As told to Yamiche Alcindor by a Capitol Hill Aide

I think women on Capitol Hill right now are just kind of breathing a sigh of relief that people finally can talk about these things and not have to suffer when they come forward. A lot of people are saying, “I wonder who’s going to be next,” because everyone knows that this is just the beginning. We really feel as if a purge is coming. I don’t think that a lot of people necessarily know who, but as soon as a name comes out, then you start to hear people saying, like: “Oh, yeah. I heard that guy was creepy.”

They asked me to pitch in and just talk to survivors who call Representative Jackie Speier’s office. It’s such a gut punch when you hear the name of the member of Congress who harassed them. Al Franken was hard. It hurts the most when it’s men who have built their political careers advocating for women and then show such disdain for actual female human beings. I think it also just really shows how important it is to have women elected to office, promoting more women to senior staff and having more women involved in Capitol Hill positions and in the political process.

essay about workplace

He’s Accused. Now What?

By Jazmine Hughes and Collier Meyerson

Jazmine Hughes: I casually know some of the men who have been accused of sexual harassment in our circles, and there are a handful I consider friends. My first thought was: What am I supposed to do with these assholes? I believe the women! But how would I show that? Did you see how Gayle King responded to the Charlie Rose accusations? It’s the best instance of “what to do when your friend is accused of sexual harassment” that I’ve seen.

Collier Meyerson: I was actually seized with panic when I heard about a friend accused of sexual misconduct. I never considered what would happen when a close friend, one whose struggles and goodness I know intimately, is questioned. Do I cast out every man who has overstepped a boundary, or only people who I’ve heard are serial sexual assaulters? I watched that clip of Gayle King, and the thing she said that most resonated with me was “You can hold two ideas in your head at the same time.” We can remember and understand that our friendships to the accused are real and also be on the side of survivors of sexual assault. But as we stumble through this, I’m feeling scared to say anything publicly, for fear of reproach. The environment is so incredibly polarized, and women can’t even feel out what to do when their loved ones are accused. I feel like I can’t even mourn that loss. Do you feel that way?

Hughes: For once, I feel grateful to not be famous — having this burden to comment is so unfair. This secondhand shame is insulting, and unproductive, and still somehow makes this into a problem for women. Personally, though, regarding these friends, I’ve answered questions when asked, but I’m not “spreading the word.”

I’ve also had long talks with friends who have been named; they’re promising but depressing. They admit to rehabilitation, but also to guilt. They’ve changed, but they had to have something to “change” away from. Everyone’s trying to get better — but what does better look like? How do we measure penance?

Meyerson: “How do we measure penance?” is exactly what I’ve been thinking about. Men repent, or if they’re famous, they retreat after their apologies. But it feels as though there are all these proverbial eyeballs looking toward women to make the decision for all men: What now? And that’s what I’m so troubled by. I don’t know the answer. In my universe, there is this expectation to purge. As my boyfriend said recently: “Humans have always tended toward purging, and it’s never worked out.”

Hughes: If I could point to anything tangible, it’s that I’d want the men to feel shame — not embarrassment, but a deep, abiding sense of wrongdoing that causes them pain and follows them like a stench. But then ... there are my friends, who’ve made the “correct” apologies or sought treatment of their own volition or stopped drinking or left the industry or left town. Which is heartening, but is that because my standards are low? What’s enough, both for myself and other people? I have a friend who is cooling her relationships with incendiary acquaintances because she doesn’t want her tacit approval to signal to other women that the guy is reasonable. Here’s a question: Say you’re having a party. Do you invite the Friend?

Meyerson: Thinking about this moment, I realize that this is not the first time any of us have heard stories about friends of ours crossing the line or harassing someone. I had a friend tell me the other day, “I remember when you told me I made this one girl feel uncomfortable because she had to say no twice, and I never forgot that.” And then there are the one or two men I’ve been friends with who have had more serious allegations against them, whom I’ve since let go. I think the right answer is that each case is different, each relationship is different.

Would I invite “that person” to a party? If I have an investment in the man, I’d go to my community and speak with them about what they’re comfortable with.

Hughes: I’m impressed that you’ve been able to talk to your male friends who might’ve slipped up in such clear terms. I have trouble doing that. What do you say?

Meyerson: I’ve had those moments a few times now: Men asking me if what they did was O.K., but it’s all subjective. What doesn’t seem like a big deal to me might have been quite a big deal to another woman. All of us have different boundaries. I don’t really have some sort of boilerplate response. It’s based on an accumulation of feelings I have about the person, about what I perceive their particular transgression to be. But I want to ask you: We’ve established that ostracizing can be important, if only just in the short term, for the mental health of women. And I really do think that. But is it appropriate for every man? And how long do we cast them out? Forever?

Hughes: It feels animalistic, in a way — at times, I see men and I want to lash out, like a mother protecting her cubs. It comes from a place of deep-seated anger that I’ve never accessed before. I guess all I can do is ostracize as long as I need to feel safe.

This email exchange has been edited and condensed.

essay about workplace

Sorry, Not Sorry

By Parul Sehgal

When I was a child, I lived near a notorious landfill called Smokey Mountain. It jutted out of the heart of Manila — a ziggurat of decomposing plastic bags, high as a 10-story building. Squatters made their homes on its slopes and perished in the frequent fires. From time to time, I recall the city promising to raze it and put in proper housing but never making good. Smokey Mountain flourished for years.

It was my early object lesson in selective blindness. You can ignore anything if you put your mind to it, apparently — even two million metric tons of smoldering trash. Anywhere you look, there’s a Smokey Mountain of a kind, a site of shame or suffering that we refuse to reckon with — even as it bursts into flames.

The recent statements from men accused of sexual harassment are among the stranger documents of shame I have encountered: putative apologies garlanded with self-congratulation, bristling with rage. Some sound like grotesque inversions of award-acceptance speeches, dutifully acknowledging family and friends, casts, crews, networks and agents. Others attempt clumsy deflection. Kevin Spacey, accused of assaulting numerous young men, takes the opportunity to come out of the closet and, horrifyingly, equates his alleged crimes with being gay. Louis C.K. repeatedly mentions how much his victims admired him in his open letter — and invokes his penis so insistently that it feels as if he’s covertly indulging his exhibitionism all over again. Jeffrey Tambor responds to charges of sexual harassment and aggression on the set of “Transparent” with further aggression. Many claim that the behavior is in the past and seem irritated to have to answer for it. After all, as Mark Halperin protests, he’s mostly cured now.

These statements of the men seem especially shabby when compared with the majestic testimonies of the women who have come forward. In their interviews, essays and op-eds, they relive moments of terror and humiliation and shame, even as they are forced to establish their credibility and, in some cases, account for their silence over the years. Intense introspection marks these statements. The women audit themselves to a fault and reckon painfully with what speaking out might cost them. In a column in The Hollywood Reporter, the screenwriter Jenny Lumet described being sexually assaulted by Russell Simmons — and her fear of going public now: “I have built a life in the past 25 years and a reputation in my industry. I need no one to have this visualization of me. I will, like the others, lose work because of this.” She wrestles with guilt — “As a woman of color, I cannot express how wrenching it is to write this about a successful man of color” — and worries about the effect of this story on his children. It’s an extraordinary piece of writing. In response, Simmons offered little more than a limp admission of his thoughtlessness before turning to his real task: buoying up his shareholders.

But in this way these statements — even when garbled, terse or self-serving — are revealing. You can glimpse how the men have learned to live with — and avert their eyes from — their own cruelty. You can see how they continue to insulate themselves from fully understanding the suffering they have caused. How much easier it is to cop to “thoughtlessness” or “insensitivity” (another favorite word of the accused) — to hurting someone’s feelings, essentially — than to acknowledge the realities women enumerate: panic, revulsion, rage, depression, decades of lost work. There’s a profound dissonance between the gravity of the events the women describe and the men’s mild interpretations.

Almost all the accused lean on abstract language and passive voice. They are sorry women “felt disrespected,” “were hurt,” “felt pain.” There is a sort of splitting that occurs, too; many men express remorse that “their behavior” has hurt people, as if their behavior were a rogue doppelgänger that needs to be reeled in. A few, like Louis C.K., say they are trying to reconcile their behavior with who they are. These maneuvers effectively remove women from the story. The narrative changes: It becomes less about men grappling with what they’ve done to someone else and more about men lamenting what they have done to themselves — and especially their careers. It takes on an existential hue — “a journey” for Harvey Weinstein, “a reckoning” for Leon Wieseltier. For Mark Halperin, it’s a sickness to rise up and defeat. Stories of abuses of power — and their systematic concealment — are spun as redemption narratives. These men are suddenly Odysseus in exile.

Odysseus, of course, finds his way home. Which is what many of the women coming forward fear. “There seems to be a formula for redemption: Apologize, put your head down, remove yourself from the public eye, come back up after enough time has passed, align yourself with the people that you’ve wronged and then resume your place back in line exactly where you were kicked out,” the actress Olivia Munn, one of at least six women who have accused Brett Ratner of sexual misconduct, told The Los Angeles Times. The public censure, the shows being canceled, the outrage, she says, is just pruning; “the disease still remains in the tree.”

Smokey Mountain was eventually shut down in 1995. It’s still inhabited, but more sparsely. You can take tours now and imagine it in its heyday. A few miles away, a new dump thrives. It’s twice the size.

essay about workplace

‘There’s a Warning System’

As told to Kathy Dobie by a Bartender

I’m 32, and I’ve been a bartender for 10 years, five in New York City. There’s always been a sort of warning system that bartenders have for everything from people who drink too much to sexual predators. Even in a city as big as New York, everyone in the industry knows one another. Bartenders and waiters take care of people — that’s our job. So it’s important that we take care of one another.

When I was 21, at my first official bartending job, the owner had already been sued for sexual harassment, I heard. One night, I went into his office to take him the money from the register, and he patted my butt on my way out. I immediately put on a stern face and said, “No!” as if he were a dog. From that day forward, he never tried anything like that. My experience in the industry has been that if you assert yourself and make your boundaries clear, they will be respected. It’s actually a largely liberal industry, and that sense of community, of fairness, of gender equality, I think it’s felt a little more strongly in this industry than others, because more often than not you work as a team, men and women together. I felt that if somebody were to act inappropriately toward me, I could immediately go to a co-worker, a co-owner, and it would shame them. My industry’s not like the entertainment industry. There’s only so many big-time producers, but there are enough bars and restaurants in the world to employ everyone. I know people are not always as fortunate as I am. I’ve never been in a position where if I were to quit on the spot, I would go hungry the next day, or worked in a small town where there’s nowhere else to go. I don’t have to pick from the bottom of the barrel. But there’s a lot of bottom of the barrel out there.

essay about workplace

They Looked the Part

By Laura Kipnis

When Henry Kissinger famously said that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, what he actually meant, I think, is that power makes an unattractive man more alluring. Attractive men don’t need aphrodisiacs: Physical attractiveness is its own aphrodisiac. In Kissinger’s formulation, power is a fungible currency — interchangeable with beauty, and sufficient quantities of it offset shortfalls in physical appeal.

The question is whether Kissinger’s premise has reached its expiration date.

Or that’s what I found myself wondering following the first round of sexual-harassment revelations, as conversations with friends inevitably turned, often with dark hilarity, to the physical hideousness of so many of the accused men. Of course, the hilarity was tinged with a bit of guilt, voices were lowered — because we weren’t in high school, right? Having been subject to the brutality of appearance rankings ourselves, we should refrain from imposing them on others, right? Still, surveying the photo arrays of the accused, you suspected that these were not the sought-after guys in high school. Now, old and smug, bloated with power and fine cuisine, their physical unloveliness gave the unfolding story a pleasing Grimm-like quality: They’d acted monstrously, and they looked the part.

As friends shared their own episodes of harassment and gross come-ones, I noticed a theme emerging, something I hadn’t considered. Being hit on by someone you judged unattractive was regarded as more insulting than being encroached on by someone decent-looking. A friend who’d had to physically fight off a drunken but not uncomely movie star with whom she’d shared a limo described the ordeal with amused outrage, but a mild overture from an aging, balding editor who looked like a potato in horn rims (her description) left her fuming. It was a sudden glimpse into a complicated set of internal sociosexual calculations that I suspect we all perform. Clearly it’s the harassing behavior itself that’s wrong, but being harassed by someone from a different attractiveness echelon compounds the affront. Perhaps it risks lowering you in your own esteem — does he think he’s in my league? — yet you feel guilty for making such reckonings.

Everyone knows the principle of “assortative mating,” even those who aren’t familiar with the phrase. It refers to the tendency to pick mates who are similar to ourselves in characteristics like class and education, and also, of course, attractiveness. There’s nothing random about such choices, and obviously I’m saying nothing a user of Tinder or Grindr would find surprising. The more attractive you are — or perceive yourself to be — the more attractive you want your mate to be, other things being equal.

But other things aren’t always equal: power and money allow people — male people, mostly — to jump the queue, so to speak. At least that rogues’ gallery of unattractive harassers suggests this has been the operative fantasy. In the worst cases, it’s a fantasy that power overrides consent, in the way that handsomeness or charisma wins female favor, “sweeps a girl off her feet.” Like how being a rock star must feel — and were the harassing men rock stars in their imaginations, I wondered? “He’s a rock star,” people now say fawningly about every C.E.O. with a good fourth quarter. Do some of them start to believe it, misidentifying every woman they meet as a compliant groupie?

When I decided to crowdsource the attractiveness question on Facebook, my female friends were eager to weigh in. “I think it’s important for female humans to express their distaste for such male flesh,” one wrote. “Men like these have long lived with the assumption their flesh is tolerable, and some may believe it’s desirable.” Someone who knew one of the accused harassers long ago recalled him as exceedingly brilliant but exceedingly homely; bent on seducing women to get back at the girls who ignored him in his youth. For the women, talking about male appearance leveled the playing field; letting men experience the same kind of vulnerability women have long endured felt like a small victory.

Many of my male friends, however, were bristling, especially male progressives. They never thought about women in terms of appearance, more than a few said righteously. I was accused of body shaming, as well as superficiality, to which I retorted, summoning my inner Oscar Wilde, “Nothing is less superficial than appearance.”

Here’s something else I found curious, but no one was exactly saying: there were not a lot of good-looking men among the accused harassers. Do those guys refrain from harassing women, or is it that they’re less likely to get reported? Apparently men themselves believe it’s the latter. A male Facebook friend directed me to an old “Saturday Night Live” sketch titled “Sexual Harassment and You.” Shot in black and white, in the style of a 1950s educational film, it depicts two different men, one an ungainly dork (Fred Armisen), and the other a handsome stud (Tom Brady), coming on to two female co-workers. The dork is threatened with harassment charges; the stud gets dates and phone numbers. I noted that the writer and director were both male.

“Male power” has acquired a sleazier connotation than in Kissinger’s heyday. If some men have operated on the principle that women’s bodies were there for the plucking, regardless of niceties like consent, at least they’ve been getting away with it somewhat less lately. Which is not to say there isn’t still plenty of transactional sex and mating; plenty of “arm candy” at the side of powerful unsightly men. It’s not as though women haven’t been complicit in propping up these arrangements. Let’s be honest: We, too, have been known to leverage what we have, where we can. The question, obviously, is whether female versions of power would be less sleazy than male versions have been, especially because we keep hearing that the solution to the sexual-harassment problem is to put more women in positions of power. But even if men act out sexually more than women typically have, do we gain anything by playing the women-as-men’s-betters card? Moral smugness isn’t a great look, either. According to my informants, attractiveness matters plenty to women; we do our share of ranking and assessing, inequitable as that may be. The point is not assuming that your attractions are reciprocated. And that whatever obliviousness certain guys have displayed on that front ends — right around now.

essay about workplace

‘I Felt Ostracized’

As told to Jaime Lowe by a Soldier

I was a service member in the Army for nearly a decade. It seemed that men pulling women on top of their laps was not uncommon. It happened to me only when I was off duty, but always by my superiors. I lost count of how many times my ass was slapped or I was brushed up against. Stuff like that became so exhausting and conflicting. Conflicting because a lot of the time it was with guys I trusted and worked really well with.

In the winter of 2011, my unit was in Kuwait. One time during a break, I went behind a shipping container to smoke a cigarette, and I was chatting with a sergeant from our company. About a month later, I was talking to an acquaintance who worked with this sergeant, and he just started joking about the time I gave the sergeant a blowjob behind the shipping container. I found out that the sergeant had been spreading rumors about very specific sexual acts that I had supposedly performed on him and others in the company. It was mortifying, and everyone seemed to know.

I decided to make an informal complaint about it, and then I felt ostracized by members of my unit. It felt as if the unit was trying to protect this guy and not me. I was questioned, and some of the queries focused on the fact that I was always seen with men or that I encouraged a certain culture. Basically, I was being accused of asking for it because I told a dirty joke every now and again. I could tell what was happening, so I ultimately filed a formal complaint. That was extremely nerve-racking. It meant I was under an even bigger microscope. There were those who wanted to send me back home or to another base or to another unit altogether. They were just going to leave him there and uproot me. Remove the victim from the situation instead of the person causing the problem. There’s a good-old-boy network.

People in power are willing to ignore bad behavior because it’s convenient or because outstanding performers in the unit are being protected. These guys are wonderful at their jobs, but some can be monsters behind closed doors.

essay about workplace

Answers for My Daughter

By Heidi Julavits

In mid-November, my daughter began to notice the men. She had heard the reports about Harvey and Louis and Kevin and Al, and now she had a question. “Why have no women been accused of sexual misconduct?” she asked.

I was on autopilot and responded from an unthinking place: “These abuses are often a function of a power inequity, and many more men are in positions of power than women.”

Was my response an explanation? A justification? A brushoff? Did it imply an essentialist reading of gender? Was it, at a bare minimum, useful? At 13, my daughter will have her first job next summer. Substantive engagement with a soon-to-be underling about the dynamics of workplace power abuse seemed fairly critical.

Around this time, I started to mishear the news. Sound waves entered my inner ear; men became women. I misheard, “[Name of famous female writer that sounds like Roy Moore], Alabama’s Republican candidate for the Senate, is alleged to have made sexual advances toward a woman who was 14 years old at the time.” I heard, “[Name of famous female writer that sounds like Roy Moore] forcibly kissed her when she was a high school student.” In the absence of anything to laugh about, this misheard news made me giddy. Why? Women commit such abuses; it’s no joke whatsoever. Maybe my brain wanted to hear fake news to complicate a secret message that I could not help worrying other people might be hearing and believing: Men abuse power, and women do not. Men have overbearing sex drives they cannot control, and women do not.

Such thinking quickly lends itself to other “thinking,” like the thinking displayed by James Damore, the writer of the “Google Employee Memo.” Among his messages: The reason so few women work in tech is because women are biologically different from men, and we need to accept that women are gregarious (rather than assertive); women prefer aesthetics to ideas; women seek a work-life balance rather than professional status. The sum being: Women will never be as good as men at, for example, coding.

I am not delivering such messages — at least not intentionally. But I recalled what I heard when I was a girl, when my mother and her friends actively fought for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. I understood “equal rights for women” to mean that women, historically, were not allowed to do what men were allowed to do and that women should be allowed to do all those things. I did not find this message controversial.

But combined with the response I gave to my daughter, and the recent habits of my inner ear, I sensed another potential perversion of meaning. Men and women were equal. Men were not hornier than women or slimier than women. I might have been reassuring my daughter that when she assumed a position of power, she would be able to balance the scales; she and her female friends could sexually abuse powerless people, of any gender, with unrepentant (until caught) vigor.

I decided to ask my daughter why she thought men were disproportionately guilty of sexual harassment in the workplace. She wondered if the preponderance of men in the news might be connected to the fact that, she had heard or read somewhere, a majority of all murders were committed by men. Then she paused. She thought about what her “thinking” implied. “To say that is a stereotype,” she said. “That women don’t murder or rape or harass, and men do. Because really no one should do any of those things.”

Right. No one should do any of those things. Somewhere along the way, baked into the acceptable standards of behavior for people in power, is a thing that nobody should do. And yet it became an entitlement. My daughter and I talked about power; was power to blame? Was power an unavoidably corrupting force? But to claim that power always corrupts risked excusing the individual offenders.

We finally settled on one useful point for future thinking and action: For the first time during my lifetime, and also by implication, during hers, victims were proving more powerful than the power that created them. The next step would seem to involve the nonvictims in the redefinition of how power works. Because in the current system, it could be argued that there are three types of people: people in power, victims and nonvictims. Recently, I witnessed a nonvictim learn about the decades of power abuses perpetrated by a friend and colleague. “I just wonder if I’ve been complicit,” the nonvictim worried. To which I wanted to reply: There can be nonvictims only so long as there are victims. If you do not call out your friend’s behavior, then yes, you can count yourself complicit.

On Thanksgiving, my family played a game of charades. Many people were involved, ages ranging from 8 to 85. I asked my son, who is 8, to contribute a clue. He gave me “sexual harassment.” I asked him if he knew what it was. He said, “It’s when you touch somebody, and they don’t want you to touch them.” Good enough. I put “sexual harassment” in the salad bowl; I felt it had earned its cultural place alongside “Little House on the Prairie” and “Kim Kardashian.” Maybe, too, I considered it a bit of an experiment. Who would pull the clue? Would a man’s performance of “sexual harassment” be more easily identifiable to the group over a woman’s? Maybe it mattered only that the action be legible to all genders, no matter the body performing it.

The person who pulled the clue was a man in his 60s. He approached the other team. He waggled his tongue; he exaggeratedly pretended to grab the bodies of the opposition in all the appropriately inappropriate places. Everyone knew immediately what he was doing. Men and women, girls and boys, all called out his actions, correctly, by name.

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Ruth Franklin is a book critic and the author of “Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life.” Weronika Gesicka is a Polish visual artist focused on questions of identity, both in a personal and social context , and topics related to memory. Vivian Gornick is a New York-based essayist, memoirist and literary critic. She is a recipient of a Ford Foundation grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is the author of more than 10 books, a number of which have been nominated for major prizes. Zoe Heller contributes frequently to The New York Review of Books and has published three novels, including “Notes on a Scandal.” Jazmine Hughes is an associate editor at the magazine. Sarah Illenberger is a Berlin-based artist, illustrator and designer. Ina Jang is an artist based in Brooklyn. Her latest project, “Utopia,” was shown this year at Musée des Beaux-Arts Le Locle in Switzerland. Heidi Julavits is the author of “The Folded Clock: A Diary,” four novels and a forthcoming book on rape culture and parenting, to be published by Crown in 2018. Laura Kipnis is a professor at Northwestern University and the author, most recently, of “Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus.” Olivia Locher is a photographer based in New York who is known for her sarcastic approach to studio photography, with a heavy focus on color and concept. Her first monograph, “I Fought the Law,” was published by Chronicle Books in September. Tracy Ma runs a graphic-design practice in New York and is an adjunct faculty member at Parsons School of Design. Collier Meyerson is a contributor to The Nation and a Nobler fellow at The Nation Institute. Meghan O’Rourke is a poet, essayist and critic. She is the author of “The Long Goodbye” and, most recently, the poetry collection “Sun in Days.” Rachel Perry uses sculpture, photography, performance, and drawing to remark on the unremarkable in our daily lives. Paula Scher has been a principal at the international design consultancy Pentagram since 1991; she is one of the most acclaimed graphic designers in the world. Parul Sehgal is a book critic at The Times. Amber Vittoria is an illustrator living and working in New York City. Jenna Wortham is a staff writer for the magazine.

Opening animation by Jessica Svendsen and Ben Barry. “As told to” illustrations by Chloe Scheffe. Source photos for Gesicka: ClassicStock/Alamy. Photograph of Illenberger concept by Johannes Berger. Produced by Rodrigo de Benito Sanz, Kyle Ligman and Alice Yin.

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By THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

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Essay on Work Ethics and Professionalism

Students are often asked to write an essay on Work Ethics and Professionalism in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Work Ethics and Professionalism

Introduction.

Work ethics and professionalism are essential in any job. They help maintain a positive environment and ensure success.

Work Ethics

Work ethics refer to the moral principles that guide our actions at work. They include honesty, responsibility, and respect.

Professionalism

Professionalism means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, and competence. It’s about doing your job effectively and respectfully.

Good work ethics and professionalism lead to job satisfaction and success. They build trust and respect among colleagues.

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250 Words Essay on Work Ethics and Professionalism

Introduction to work ethics and professionalism.

Work ethics and professionalism are fundamental principles that govern the conduct of individuals in a professional setting. These principles are quintessential in defining an individual’s character, commitment, and integrity within the workplace.

Understanding Work Ethics

Work ethics encompass a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It involves a belief in the moral benefit and importance of work and its inherent ability to strengthen character. A strong work ethic emanates from an individual’s inner drive and perseverance to achieve success. It includes attributes like reliability, responsibility, quality, discipline, and teamwork.

Professionalism: A Vital Component

Professionalism, on the other hand, is the conduct, behavior, and attitude of an individual in a work or business environment. It involves maintaining a level of etiquette, exhibiting a positive attitude, showing respect to others, and demonstrating a high level of competence and efficiency. Professionalism is about conducting oneself in a manner that enhances one’s image and the image of the organization one represents.

The Intersection of Work Ethics and Professionalism

Work ethics and professionalism are intertwined. A professional with strong work ethics is likely to be more successful because they are dependable, respectful, and competent. They value their work, respect their obligations, and strive for excellence.

500 Words Essay on Work Ethics and Professionalism

Work ethics and professionalism are two integral elements that define the caliber and value of an individual in a professional setting. Work ethics refer to a set of moral principles that guide a person’s actions in the workplace, while professionalism is the conduct, behavior, and attitude of someone in a work or business environment.

Work ethics are a set of values centered on the notions of hard work and diligence. It involves a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An individual with a robust work ethic exhibits qualities such as integrity, responsibility, quality, and discipline. These values are not inherent; they are cultivated through experiences and societal interactions.

The Essence of Professionalism

Professionalism, on the other hand, is the practical application of work ethics. It is reflected in an individual’s conduct, behavior, and attitude in the workplace. Professionalism involves maintaining an appropriate level of etiquette, demonstrating a high degree of competence, and showing respect for others in the workplace.

Professionalism is not just about following a set of rules; it’s about embodying a professional identity. This includes being reliable, respectful, and accountable. It also means being able to handle criticism constructively, communicate effectively, and maintain a positive attitude, even in challenging situations.

The Interplay between Work Ethics and Professionalism

The presence of work ethics and professionalism in an individual can significantly enhance their career growth. Employers value these traits as they contribute to a positive work culture, improved productivity, and a better reputation for the company.

In conclusion, work ethics and professionalism are not just desirable traits but essential for anyone seeking to excel in their professional life. They are the pillars upon which successful careers and organizations are built. By fostering these values, individuals can not only enrich their professional journey but also contribute to creating a healthy and productive work environment. The cultivation of work ethics and professionalism is a continuous process, one that demands conscious effort and commitment. But the rewards, both personal and professional, are well worth the effort.

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Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Workplace Essay

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Introduction

Observation summary and experience, significant factors underlying the experience or observation, reconstructing – reconstruction of future practice or professional understanding.

Workplace inclusion, diversity, and belonging have developed into crucial components of a philosophy that permeates all enterprises. Due to the value they provide, hose concepts swiftly ascend to the forefront of enterprises’ priorities. They not only help to create more content, open-minded, and productive staff, but they also enhance the financial performance of the companies.

Nevertheless, building a multicultural and welcoming work atmosphere remains one of today’s greatest difficulties. It requires more than a training film or a talk on being kind to employees to achieve real diversity and inclusion. Numerous reputable firms have been making efforts to establish, enhance, and continuously monitor these values on a variety of fronts, including employment, promotions, opportunities, conduct, and more.

The commercial argument for this is becoming more widely understood. Although social justice is frequently the driving force behind these initiatives, businesses have started to see belonging, inclusion, and diversity as key success factors, more particularly, as crucial facilitators of development.

There are three main concepts that serve as the base for the paper – inclusivity, diversity, and belonging. Included are people’s participation and empowerment. People are valued and respected when they are included. When they are their true selves, employees perform at their best. One has to feel included in order to be one’s true self. In the workplace, diversity contains all aspects of the human experience, including ethnicity, financial background, community, gender and sexual identity, religion, and culture. It necessitates the eradication of all prejudices and the use of exclusively merit-based hiring.

When an employee feels accepted, included, and has a sense of identification with a particular organization, group, or location, they are said to have a sense of belonging, which is a sense of safety and support (Traavik, 2019). Employee perceptions of their reception among coworkers and inclusion for suitable changes, activities, and more are influenced by how they feel appreciated, acknowledged, and included at work. Thus, the paper aims to provide a reflection on the three critical workplace factors and analyze their role and importance in the organization.

In order to get a deeper understanding of diversity and inclusivity, there is an example of an incident that happened at Google regarding those issues. A former Google employee filed a lawsuit against the business on Friday, alleging that it routinely discriminated against Black employees by assigning them to lower-level positions, underpaying them, and depriving them of advancement prospects. April Curley, who was employed at Google since 2014 before being fired in 2020, is the complainant (Wakabayash, 2022).

While working there, Ms. Curley created initiatives to attract candidates from historically Black institutions and universities, which assisted the corporation in hiring Black personnel. She claimed that “Google maintains employment rules and procedures that have a discriminatory impact against Black employees all across the United States and is involved in a countrywide pattern or practice of deliberate race discrimination and retaliation (Wakabayash, 2022).

According to the lawsuit, Google often employed Black employees with lower job statuses than were suitable for their level of expertise (Wakabayash, 2022). Pay is linked to work for groups; hence the business was able to pay Black employees less than their white counterparts.

The lawsuit reflects several grievances Black workers have made throughout the years regarding working at Google. Even as it expanded into one of the biggest private companies in the country, the business has had trouble diversifying its workforce in terms of race and gender, particularly among its highly compensated engineering personnel. 4.4% of Google’s U.S. employees were of different ethnicities, one of which is Black, which is much less than the national average for content creation and search organizations (Wakabayash, 2022).

Ms. Curley also claimed that her workplace was unfriendly. She said that during the course of her six years there, bosses frequently confused her with two other Black coworkers. She said that a boss had asked which of her coworkers she desired to have an intimate relationship with and that neither she nor those coworkers had been given the opportunity to speak or present at crucial meetings. Eventually, Ms. Curley got a decrease in wage and was fired.

However, this experience positively impacted the organization’s approach toward diversity and stimulated it to work on more effective practices. By 2021, they have increased the leadership representation of ethnic minorities by 30%, and by 2025, management expects to have doubled Black+ representation across all of our U.S. locations. Google is concentrating on a lot more than hiring as we work toward our representation objectives.

To enhance hiring, advancement, and engagement for disadvantaged minorities at Google, our recruitment leaders collaborate closely with internal organizations such as Black Googler Network. New onboarding initiatives are being introduced to all members of the program. In addition, the company strives to help Googlers experience the new, improved mental health services and internal mentoring initiatives.

During the observation of the situation, I experienced certain feelings connected with the diverse and inclusive practices in the company. The most frustrating fact is that Google seemed to have more focus on the image of the progressive company when it was not reflecting the reality. Moreover, it is highly possible that not only Google but other organization that portrays themselves as diverse companies follow the same pattern. If such a huge corporation still does not manage to ensure the well-being of all the employees and implement innovative practices, then the overall situation in the workplace might not be positive.

It is devastating that usually, it is hard or even impossible to say if the certain company follows the chosen direction or only pretends to work on the issue. Mostly, due to the employees that have the courage to speak to the public about the inappropriate situations happening in the workplace, people can recognize if the company does any actions.

This incident reflects the major problem that exists in society, and even despite any personal beliefs and biases, it is still a relevant issue. Regarding my personal values, I strongly stand for inclusivity and diversity in general, and I feel that there should be a lot more for people of color and all minorities. For instance, the framework of belonging is something that I use in evaluating the case.

Employees should feel accepted and valued in the company, whose ultimate goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for work. Unfortunately, there were signs that black employees do have such a positive experience in the company, which means that there are certain problems with diversity and inclusivity.

Although I have never experienced anything like that personally, I have read articles and news about such cases in the companies. Even though I did not witness or experience such problems as inclusivity, I learned through the media and conversations with minority representatives about such cases. All the time, the conditions were rather similar when the companies claimed that they stand for inclusivity, but inside, employees experienced discrimination.

Google, for example, demonstrated certain disruptive behavioral patterns in this situation. Although the corporation aimed to hire more black people, the positions that were offered to them were significantly lower than for other ethnicities (Lopez, n.d.). I examined the case through the concept of diversity and inclusion, which was significant in evaluating the incident. Some of the skills regarding those concepts that were useful are openness. Openness to many different types of thoughts, experiences, methods, and practices retains curiosity when faced with something novel, strange, or distinct. It helps to be receptive to new ideas and potential biases.

Moreover, being open to new ideas and perspectives enables us to solve challenging issues. In addition, it would be helpful to view the situations from different perspectives and broaden the sphere of perception. Taking into account what someone else could be feeling or thinking and actively looking for other points of view to help in decision-making and problem-solving, holding a variety of truths.

Empowering decision-making and voices across a diverse spectrum of identities by adopting a different perspective allows for better comprehension of cultural variances and fosters justice and belonging. Those skills will be useful; for example, I evaluate the organizational performance regarding inclusivity and diversity.

The major factor that underlines the observation is the existence of quantity, but not the quality of the diversity practices. The company hired racial minorities but failed to provide them with opportunities for development and made them experience a lack of sense of belonging (Adejumo, (2021). The experience was driven by compliance since Google’s statement did not manage the actions.

The situation was beneficial for the organization even though they were sued by the ex-employee; it made them reconstruct the way the professional responsibilities were distributed among the racial minorities. Thus, eventually, it had positive results on the corporation’s culture and values. Diversity and inclusivity are a priority at the CEO level, and they are valued at all organizational levels of management from the concept of inclusion.

From the case of Google, I have learned that the company’s purposes and actions do not always match each other. It is important to evaluate not only the visible outcomes but look deeper into what is happening inside the organization. Through the concepts of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, I would suggest certain methods for the improvement of the situation in the company. Firstly, increasing cultural variety provides insights into fostering well-being for all people and utilizing diversity’s advantages at work, which improves performance (Krause, 2019).

Secondly, position advertising can explicitly mention the purpose of hiring and retaining a multicultural workforce that provides an inclusive atmosphere in order to improve and encourage candidate pool diversity (Martinez-Acosta & Favero, 2018).

Finally, bullying occurs often in this context, whether it occurs at work, in social settings, or in an educational environment. It is crucial to inform workers about the value of inclusion and diversity of all kinds (Prayson & Rowe, 2019). People need to believe there is a place they can turn to for support and assistance if they are being bullied, and such conduct has to be handled immediately.

Overall, the paper provided a reflection on the three critical workplace factors such as diversity, inclusivity, and belonging, and analyzed their role and importance in the organization. Those frameworks are necessary to apply to ensure the development and productivity of the organization along as well being of each employee.

Although companies try to use some methods to promote diversity, it may not be enough for full inclusion and requires more work and strategic planning. Eventually, it benefits not only the employee but the corporation themselves due to the greater variety of people in the workplace with different backgrounds and creative perspectives.

Wakabayash, D. (2022). The lawsuit accuses Google of bias against black employees. New-York Times. Web.

Lopez, C. How we’re making progress on our representation goals . (n.d.). Google Belonging. Web.

Krause, W. (2019). Leading in times of cultural diversity: Achieving wellbeing, inclusivity, and organizational performance. In The Routledge companion to management and workplace spirituality (pp. 250-260). Routledge.

Martinez-Acosta, V. G., & Favero, C. B. (2018). A discussion of diversity and inclusivity at the institutional level: The need for a strategic plan. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education , 16 (3), A252.

Prayson, R. A., & Rowe, J. J. (2019). LGBTQ Inclusivity and Language in the Workplace. Critical Values , 12 (2), 28-30. Web.

Adejumo, V. (2021). Beyond diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Leadership , 17 (1), 62-73.

Traavik, L. E. (2019). Where differences dwell: inclusion and the healthy workplace. In Creating psychologically healthy workplaces (pp. 215-234). Edward Elgar Publishing. Web.

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Home / Essay Samples / Business / Workforce / Workplace

Workplace Essay Examples

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