Some people go to their jobs in the morning, accept the lowest amount of responsibility possible and collect a paycheck. They have no desire to pursue major career advancement and simply want competitive wages for the services that they provide.
Other professionals dream of climbing the corporate ladder. They may want an executive title in a corner office or a six-figure salary. It can take a successful professional years, if not decades, to achieve those goals. However, some professionals may find that they can’t seem to reach their long-term goals no matter how long they stay focused on those objectives.
In some cases, discrimination may have led to a worker slamming into a glass ceiling that prevents them from going any higher in their career.
What is the glass ceiling?
The term glass ceiling has been around for decades. Originally, the glass ceiling concept primarily referred to a lack of advancement opportunities for women. Many female employees have historically found that there is a limit to how far they can develop their careers even if they fully commit and have better performance than some of their peers.
In recent years, researchers have also been talking about glass ceilings that apply to other minority groups, such as those of certain racial backgrounds. A glass ceiling is an institutional issue that prevents people with certain protected characteristics from achieving the highest titles and accolades possible.
The glass ceiling involves promotion discrimination
Companies should not consider someone’s sex, race, religion or other protected characteristics when deciding who is the right fit for an open executive role or upper management position. Unfortunately, those already established in positions of power often let their internal biases affect how they operate their company and who they move into the best positions at the business.
Someone who has been repeatedly passed over for promotions and other opportunities may have encountered a glass ceiling. The promotion discrimination that they face could prevent them from ever achieving their goals. Sometimes, the only way to break through a glass ceiling involves take legal action against a company.
Ultimately, fighting against workplace discrimination can potentially lead to advancement opportunities for a frustrated professional and others who may work at a particular company in the future.