Читать книгу Inclusion, Inc. - Sara Sanford - Страница 34

Exclusion carries an amorphous price tag. At best, we can itemize pieces of it. For example, the EEOC estimates it collects $120 million a year in relation to harassment charges, in pre-litigation processes alone. The average harassment claim settled outside of court will typically run an organization between $75,000 and $125,000,¹⁵ and lawsuits resulting from age discrimination have cost companies collectively as much as $250 million.¹⁶ These figures don't include the cases settled privately or the enduring costs of damaged reputations and tarnished brands.

Organizations also lose millions each year to diversity turnover. For example, in technology-related industries, women are twice as likely to leave as men, and Black and Latino workers are 3.5 times more likely to quit than their white or Asian colleagues.¹⁷ Underestimated employees cite “culture” as their top reason for resigning, and businesses pay an annual $16 billion diversity attrition tab.

The full expenses of exclusion extend far beyond litigation and attrition, though. Our most costly mistakes are the ones we're convinced we're not making.