Have any of you ever faced a discrimination at workplace?

I am sure you have. Some will accept, some will deny, and some will keep quiet. But we all have gone through it. Discrimination comes in so many forms. Oh so many!

First there is obvious discrimination based on race, cast, and religion.

Then there is a linguistic discrimination. People speaking your language are hired more easily, are welcomed in the team with more warmth, and are often given more perks than others.

Next comes the gender based discrimination. If anybody wants to say that male employees are favored against female colleagues, they may be wrong. Of late, the trend has changed. At least for the two companies I’ve worked for, female employees enjoy so many perks that you guys can’t even imagine. And there is a good flow chart of how these differentiation takes various turns. Let’s just cateogorize, to keep things simple.

1. If you are married and have kids, you are golden. You’re a goddess that blesses the office premise everyday. You can come and go as you please. Office timings do not really apply to you. You can take a day off without notice, take a work-from-home and rest at home all day; nobody will question you. On contrary, people will sympathize with you. You’re doing the impossible of managing work and home. As are million others, but that does not change anything. If you are not able to finish your assignments, somebody else will slog and do it for you. Because you are precious.
2. If you’re married, and have no kids, then you may not enjoy all the perks mentioned above. You’re still precious. You can enjoy relaxed office timings. You can be away from your desk, talking to your beau on phone for hours. Or, you can be at your desk, chatting with your better-half  on any of the many instant messaging platforms. And if you don’t meet the deadlines, worry not, there are special people to take care of it.
3. If you’re not married (and assumed to have no kids, as kids without marriage is not something that we endorse), then you’re treated as a nobody. You don’t have to take care of your family. You may not fall sick. You cannot have any personal stuff to attend to. You are a bachelor, you don’t have a life! You are the special force that is forced to slog, for work that others don’t do. Enjoy!

For those who sadly fall in the third category, one may advise them can try to “upgrade” myself to higher categories. However, I fear, that by that time, rules may change. Maybe the discrimination will end.

And it SHOULD end. For gods’ sake, please.

Shabana Mukhtar