This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Employees who can easily change jobs are less likely to experience workplace discrimination. When dealing with a discriminatory employer, job mobility acts as an important incentive: If you can leave more easily, your employer will often make greater efforts to combat discrimination and retain you.
That's what André van Hoorn writes in Economic and Industrial Democracy. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination still occurs, but in practice, not every person within a vulnerable group is affected to the same extent. Van Hoorn investigated differences within groups, such as employees with a migrant background or a disability.
However, the research shows that even within these groups, some people experience discrimination more frequently than others. A key reason for this is more limited labor mobility. Van Hoorn analyzed data from more than 20,000 employees in 32 countries.
Nearly one in five workers (18.4%) reported experiencing workplace discrimination over a five-year period. The economist mapped out how and why individuals within different groups experience discrimination. Groups with lower labor mobility appear to be affected more frequently.
"People who can switch employers more easily experience discrimination less often," Van Hoorn explains. "The data show that people who are stuck in their jobs are more likely to face discrimination. If you can leave easily, an employer often realizes this too.
And if you're a mobile worker experiencing an unpleasant situation, your employer will be more inclined to intervene and create a better working environment. Because if the situation doesn't improve, your employer knows that you'll soon be able to move on to a more inclusive workplace. As a result, external job mobility acts both as a shield with your current employer and as an escape route to a new job." Mobility is determined by various factors.
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