Inequities persist in the workplace, but HR executives at healthcare organizations can advocate for change.
It's time for HR executives to start thinking about the policies that will matter in 2017.
Healthcare disparities reduce access to care, keep minority workers in poverty, and reinforce the Cycle of Oppression.
Changing HR policies can set some of these wrongs to right.
Acknowledge Wage Inequality
Women represented almost half of medical students in 2013, yet they continue to face hurdles, including access to quality care and equal pay.
A JAMA Internal Medicine study published in September that found female physicians earn, on average, 8% less than their male counterparts. That might not sound like much, but it comes out to about $20,000 less in annual earnings.
How does this happen? "The first conclusion is that women are less inclined toward negotiation or feel they have less negotiating power when it comes to salary setting," says Anupam B. Jena, MD, lead author of the study.
But he also makes clear that discrimination—intentional or otherwise—plays a role. "I think that [overt discrimination] is less common than subjective-type discrimination, but it's hard to comment how often that actually happens. We don't have any data on it."
Address LGBT Concerns
Being a woman is just one workplace hurdle; being LGB or T, is another.
Catalyst, a non-profit organization that specializes in accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion has found that more than half of LGBT workers hide their sexual orientation in the workplace, and 90% of the transgender population has experienced harassment or mistreatment on the job.
There are no easy fixes to many of these societally ingrained disparities, but as providers of care, it's should be core to a healthcare organization's mission to remove inequalities and eliminate disparities.
Enforcing tough anti-harassment rules in the workplace and generally fostering an atmosphere of collaboration, where workers of all backgrounds feel comfortable is an important first step.
HR leaders can who notice departments with high turnover of minority workers, or where men have higher paychecks, can ask why, and can push for changes.
Bring in Diversity Specialists
Organizations that are fully committed to the principles of a diverse workforce and have the means to do so are hiring chief diversity officers.
A CDO specializes in being the person who makes sure workers can bring their whole selves to work, says Deborah L. Plummer, PhD, vice chancellor and CDO at University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Healthcare.
"Then, we are able to come together and work in diverse teams, and are able to solve challenges with our collective wisdom," she said.
Lena J. Weiner is an associate editor at HealthLeaders Media.